CVE-2017-16019: Gitbook Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-5h5r-23r4-m87h
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-16019 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Gitbook libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site scripting in gitbook. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.2.2.

CVE-2017-16019 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-16019
GHSA Identifier GHSA-5h5r-23r4-m87h
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.1
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Gitbook
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2017-16019

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Gitbook dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

gitbook fixed: 3.2.2 
npm install gitbook@3.2.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls gitbook

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2017-16019, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls gitbook

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Gitbook in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.2.2), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls gitbook command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. In Gitbook, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Affected versions of `gitbook` do not properly sanitize user input outside of backticks, which may result in cross-site scripting in the online reader. ## Recommendation Update to version 3.2.2 or later.

CVE-2017-16019 Affected Gitbook Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.2.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
gitbook
npm/gitbook
npm
< 3.2.2
3.2.2

References

NVD — CVE-2017-16019 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16019
Gitbook Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/GitbookIO/gitbook/issues/1609
www.npmjs.com/advisories/159 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/159

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-16019?
CVE-2017-16019 is a security vulnerability in Gitbook involving Cross-Site Scripting in gitbook under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Gitbook versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.2.2 across affected packages: gitbook.
What version fixes CVE-2017-16019?
Upgrading to 3.2.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is gitbook affected?
Yes, gitbook is affected in releases prior to 3.2.2. Upgrade your dependency to 3.2.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-16019?
CVE-2017-16019 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-16019?
CVE-2017-16019 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2017-16019?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls gitbook'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-5h5r-23r4-m87h",
  "modified" : "2023-09-12T21:10:48Z",
  "published" : "2020-09-01T16:04:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-16019" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-Site Scripting in gitbook",
  "details" : "Affected versions of `gitbook` do not properly sanitize user input outside of backticks, which may result in cross-site scripting in the online reader.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 3.2.2 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "gitbook"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.2.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16019"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/GitbookIO/gitbook/issues/1609"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/159"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-08-31T18:12:55Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}