CVE-2018-16330: Pandao editor.md cross-site scripting in IMG attributes

CVE-2018-16330 · Severity: low · CVSS 3 · Published 2018-09-06

Pandao editor.md is a popular open-source JavaScript markdown editor used to render and edit markdown content in web applications. The editor fails to properly sanitize IMG tag attributes, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of the editor. This could enable account takeover or malicious actions if a CMS using this editor is attacked.

Technologies: editor.md (npm). Vendors: npm.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2018-16330 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2018-16330 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2018-16330?
Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3, published 6 September 2018.
Which products and versions are affected?
Pandao editor.md 1.5.0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2018-16330?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2018-16330 attacked?
It is attacked over the network.
Am I affected by CVE-2018-16330?
Check whether you run editor.md (npm). 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.

Technical details

The vulnerability is a cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw in editor.md version 1.5.0 caused by insufficient input sanitization of IMG element attributes. Attackers can craft malicious IMG tags with event handlers (e.g., onerror) in the attributes to bypass the editor's filtering mechanisms. The attack requires user interaction (viewing or rendering attacker-supplied markdown content) but does not require authentication. A successful exploit allows arbitrary JavaScript execution in the victim's browser with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or administrative actions in CMS systems integrating this editor.

Affected products

  • Pandao editor.md 1.5.0

Identifiers

  • CVE-2018-16330
  • GHSA-vjcj-5g2r-vxqc

Timeline

  • 2018-08-16: disclosed
  • 2018-09-06: advisory

References

This page as Markdown. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.