# CVE-2018-16480: Tnantoka public reflected XSS vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2018-16480-tnantoka-public-reflected-xss-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2019-02-07. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2018-16480 · Severity: low · CVSS 3 · Published 2019-02-07

The public npm package is a file/folder browser utility that renders directory listings in the browser. A reflected XSS vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript through unsanitized file or folder names, potentially stealing user credentials or hijacking sessions when a victim visits a crafted URL.

Technologies: [public (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/public). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2018-16480 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2018-16480 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2018-16480?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3, published 7 February 2019.

**Which products and versions are affected?** public (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.1.4.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2018-16480?** Yes. public (npm): upgrade to 0.1.4 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2018-16480 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2018-16480?** Check whether you run public (npm) 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

- public (npm): upgrade to 0.1.4 or later

  ```sh
  npm install public@0.1.4
  ```


## Technical details

This is a reflected XSS (CWE-79) vulnerability in the public npm module versions before 0.1.4, caused by insufficient input sanitization of file and folder names before rendering them in HTML. An attacker can craft a URL with malicious JavaScript embedded in a filename parameter, which executes in the browser of any user who visits the link without proper encoding/escaping. The attack requires user interaction (clicking a malicious link) and network access. Exploitation allows arbitrary JavaScript execution in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability was patched in version 0.1.4.

## Affected products

- Tnantoka public <0.1.4

## Identifiers

- CVE-2018-16480
- GHSA-649c-x44h-4q7v

## Timeline

- 2019-02-07: disclosed
- 2019: patched: Fixed in version 0.1.4

## References

- [https://hackerone.com/reports/329950](https://hackerone.com/reports/329950)

## Related threats

- [npm public path traversal via symlink navigation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/npm-public-path-traversal-via-symlink-navigation-dd9ade29)
- [npm public package stored cross-site scripting](https://junglewise.ai/threats/npm-public-package-stored-cross-site-scripting-d7e34af9)
- [public Cross-Site Scripting in filename handling](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2018-3747-public-cross-site-scripting-in-filename-handling)
- [npm public path traversal](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2018-3731-npm-public-path-traversal)