# CVE-2026-42197: inducer RELATE stored XSS in ParticipationAdmin

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-42197-inducer-relate-stored-xss-in-participationadmin  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-27. Updated: 2026-05-27  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-42197 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.7 · Published 2026-05-27

RELATE is a web-based courseware platform used for managing educational content and student participation. A security flaw allows students to inject malicious scripts into their profile names, which then execute in the browser of an administrator viewing the student list. This could allow a student to take over an administrator's account, potentially compromising the entire course platform and sensitive student data.

Technologies: [Inducer Relate](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/relate). Vendors: [Inducer](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/inducer).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-42197 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-42197 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-42197?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.7, published 27 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Inducer Relate versions prior to commit 555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-42197?** 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-2026-42197 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-42197?** Check whether you run Inducer Relate 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.

## Technical details

A stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the `ParticipationAdmin.get_user()` method within `course/admin.py`. The application uses `mark_safe` in conjunction with Python's `%` string formatting to render user-controlled data, effectively bypassing Django's automatic HTML escaping. An authenticated student can modify their `first_name` or `last_name` via the `/profile/` page to include malicious scripts. When an administrator views the Participation list in the Django admin panel, the unsanitized input is rendered, executing the script in the admin's context. The issue is fixed in commit 555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620.

## Affected products

- inducer RELATE versions prior to commit 555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620

## Timeline

- 2026-05-16: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory published
- 2026-05-27: disclosed: CVE published to NVD

## References

- [https://github.com/inducer/relate/blob/550b8c54eb4d5f3e5f6698dcba361bf34d715599/course/admin.py](https://github.com/inducer/relate/blob/550b8c54eb4d5f3e5f6698dcba361bf34d715599/course/admin.py)
- [https://github.com/inducer/relate/commit/555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620](https://github.com/inducer/relate/commit/555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620)
- [https://github.com/inducer/relate/security/advisories/GHSA-37xm-vhx8-g6w3](https://github.com/inducer/relate/security/advisories/GHSA-37xm-vhx8-g6w3)

## Related threats

- [RELATE LMS insecure pickle deserialization in Celery workers](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-47161-relate-lms-insecure-pickle-deserialization-in-celery-workers)
- [inducer RELATE timing attack in check_sign_in_key](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-41588-inducer-relate-timing-attack-in-check-sign-in-key)