# CVE-2016-10735: Bootstrap cross-site scripting in data-target attribute

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-10735-bootstrap-cross-site-scripting-in-data-target-attribute  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2019-01-17. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2016-10735 · Severity: low · CVSS 3 · Published 2019-01-17

Bootstrap is a widely-used CSS and JavaScript framework for building responsive web interfaces. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code via the data-target HTML attribute, which is used to specify collapse targets and other interactive components. An attacker can craft a malicious webpage or inject code into user-controlled data to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of a victim's browser, potentially stealing session cookies, credentials, or performing actions on their behalf.

Technologies: [org.webjars:bootstrap (Maven)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/org-webjars-bootstrap), [bootstrap (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/bootstrap), [bootstrap-sass (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/bootstrap-sass), [bootstrap (NuGet)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/nuget-bootstrap), [bootstrap.sass (NuGet)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/nuget-bootstrap-sass), [twbs/bootstrap (Packagist)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/twbs-bootstrap), [bootstrap (RubyGems)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/rubygems-bootstrap), [bootstrap-sass (RubyGems)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/rubygems-bootstrap-sass). Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven), [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm), [NuGet](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/nuget), [Packagist](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/packagist), [RubyGems](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/rubygems).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2016-10735 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2016-10735 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2016-10735?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3, published 17 January 2019.

**Which products and versions are affected?** org.webjars:bootstrap (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=2.0.4,fixed=3.4.0; bootstrap (npm) SEMVER:introduced=2.0.4,fixed=3.4.0; bootstrap-sass (npm) SEMVER:introduced=2.0.4,fixed=3.4.0; bootstrap (NuGet) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=2.0.4,fixed=3.4.0; and 4 more.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2016-10735?** Yes. org.webjars:bootstrap (Maven): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later; bootstrap (npm): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later; bootstrap-sass (npm): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later; bootstrap (NuGet): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later; bootstrap.sass (NuGet): upgrade to 4.0.0-beta.2 or later; twbs/bootstrap (Packagist): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later; bootstrap (RubyGems): upgrade to 4.0.0-beta.2 or later; bootstrap-sass (RubyGems): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2016-10735 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2016-10735?** Check whether you run org.webjars:bootstrap (Maven), bootstrap (npm), bootstrap-sass (npm) or one of the others listed at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- org.webjars:bootstrap (Maven): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later

  ```sh
  # set org.webjars:bootstrap to 3.4.0 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```

- bootstrap (npm): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install bootstrap@3.4.0
  ```

- bootstrap-sass (npm): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install bootstrap-sass@3.4.0
  ```

- bootstrap (NuGet): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later

  ```sh
  dotnet add package bootstrap --version 3.4.0
  ```

- bootstrap.sass (NuGet): upgrade to 4.0.0-beta.2 or later

  ```sh
  dotnet add package bootstrap.sass --version 4.0.0-beta.2
  ```

- twbs/bootstrap (Packagist): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later

  ```sh
  composer require twbs/bootstrap:^3.4.0
  ```

- bootstrap (RubyGems): upgrade to 4.0.0-beta.2 or later

  ```sh
  bundle update bootstrap
  ```

- bootstrap-sass (RubyGems): upgrade to 3.4.0 or later

  ```sh
  bundle update bootstrap-sass
  ```


## Technical details

This is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Bootstrap's handling of the data-target attribute, a jQuery data attribute used for dynamic collapse and tab navigation. The vulnerable code fails to sanitize or escape the data-target value before using it in DOM operations, allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript. The vulnerability affects Bootstrap 2.x (from 2.0.4 onwards), 3.x (before 3.4.0), and 4.x-beta (before 4.0.0-beta.2). Attack vector is network-based with user interaction required (victim must visit a malicious page or have untrusted data rendered in data-target). An attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser context. Patches were released in Bootstrap 3.4.0 and 4.0.0-beta.2, with fixes backported to later versions.

## Affected products

- Bootstrap Bootstrap 2.0.4 to 3.3.7, 4.0.0-beta to 4.0.0-beta.1
- Bootstrap bootstrap-sass 2.0.4 to 3.3.7, 4.0.0-beta

## Identifiers

- CVE-2016-10735
- GHSA-4p24-vmcr-4gqj

## Timeline

- 2016-06-27: disclosed: XSS in data-target attribute reported on GitHub issue #20184
- 2017-08-25: patched: Fix merged for v4 via PR #23679
- 2017-09-14: patched: Fix merged for v3 via PR #23687
- 2018-05-07: patched: Additional fix for tabs via PR #26460 in v3.4.0-dev
- 2019-01-09: advisory: CVE-2016-10735 published on NVD
- 2019-01-17: advisory: GHSA-4p24-vmcr-4gqj published

## References

- [https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/issues/27915](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/issues/27915)
- [https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/issues/20184](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/issues/20184)
- [https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/pull/26460](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/pull/26460)
- [https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/pull/23687](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/pull/23687)
- [https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/pull/23679](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/pull/23679)

## Related threats

- [Bootstrap Vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting in its Popover and Tooltip Components](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-1647-bootstrap-cross-site-scripting-in-popover-and-tooltip)
- [Bootstrap XSS vulnerability in carousel component](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2024-6531-bootstrap-xss-vulnerability-in-carousel-component)
- [Bootstrap XSS vulnerability in carousel component (withdrawn)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2024-6484-bootstrap-xss-vulnerability-in-carousel-component-withdrawn)
- [Bootstrap Cross-Site Scripting in data-* attributes](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2024-6485-bootstrap-cross-site-scripting-in-data-attributes)
- [Bootstrap-sass contains code execution backdoor](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2019-10842-bootstrap-sass-contains-code-execution-backdoor)