CVE-2024-43411: Ckeditor4 Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6v96-m24v-f58j
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CVSS 3.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-43411 is a MODERATE (CVSS 3.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Ckeditor4 libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves ckeditor4 low-risk cross-site scripting (xss) vulnerability linked to potential domain takeover. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.25.0.

CVE-2024-43411 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-43411
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6v96-m24v-f58j
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.1
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Ckeditor4
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2024-43411

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Ckeditor4 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

ckeditor4 fixed: 4.25.0 
npm install ckeditor4@4.25.0
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 ckeditor4

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2024-43411, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls ckeditor4

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Ckeditor4 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.25.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls ckeditor4 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 Ckeditor4, 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 Packages The issue impacts only editor instances with enabled [version notifications](https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor4/latest/api/CKEDITOR_config.html#cfg-versionCheck). Please note that this feature is disabled by default in all CKEditor 4 LTS versions. Therefore, if you use CKEditor 4 LTS, it is highly unlikely that you are affected by this vulnerability. If you are unsure, please [contact us](mailto:security@cksource.com). ### Impact A theoretical vulnerability has been identified in CKEditor 4.22 (and above). In a highly unlikely scenario where an attacker gains control over the https://cke4.ckeditor.com domain, they could potentially execute an attack on CKEditor 4 instances. Although the vulnerability is purely hypothetical, we have addressed it in CKEditor 4.25.0-lts to ensure compliance with security best practices. ### Patches The issue has been recognized and patched. The fix is available in version 4.25.0-lts. ### For More Information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please email us at [security@cksource.com](mailto:security@cksource.com).

CVE-2024-43411 Affected Ckeditor4 Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.25.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
ckeditor4
npm/ckeditor4
npm
≥ 4.22.0
< 4.25.0
4.25.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/security/advisories/GHSA-6v96-m24v-f58j
NVD — CVE-2024-43411 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-43411
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/commit/b5069c9cb769ea22eae1cbd7200f22b1cf2e3a7f
Ckeditor4 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-43411?
CVE-2024-43411 is a security vulnerability in Ckeditor4 involving CKEditor4 low-risk cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability linked to potential domain takeover under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Ckeditor4 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.25.0 across affected packages: ckeditor4.
What version fixes CVE-2024-43411?
Upgrading to 4.25.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is ckeditor4 affected?
Yes, ckeditor4 is affected in releases prior to 4.25.0. Upgrade your dependency to 4.25.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-43411?
CVE-2024-43411 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-43411?
CVE-2024-43411 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-2024-43411?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls ckeditor4'. 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-6v96-m24v-f58j",
  "modified" : "2024-11-18T16:27:06Z",
  "published" : "2024-08-21T18:31:00Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-43411" ],
  "summary" : "CKEditor4 low-risk cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability linked to potential domain takeover",
  "details" : "### Affected Packages\n\nThe issue impacts only editor instances with enabled [version notifications](https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor4/latest/api/CKEDITOR_config.html#cfg-versionCheck).\n\nPlease note that this feature is disabled by default in all CKEditor 4 LTS versions. Therefore, if you use CKEditor 4 LTS, it is highly unlikely that you are affected by this vulnerability. If you are unsure, please [contact us](mailto:security@cksource.com).\n\n### Impact\n\nA theoretical vulnerability has been identified in CKEditor 4.22 (and above). In a highly unlikely scenario where an attacker gains control over the https://cke4.ckeditor.com domain, they could potentially execute an attack on CKEditor 4 instances. Although the vulnerability is purely hypothetical, we have addressed it in CKEditor 4.25.0-lts to ensure compliance with security best practices.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe issue has been recognized and patched. The fix is available in version 4.25.0-lts.\n\n### For More Information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory, please email us at [security@cksource.com](mailto:security@cksource.com).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "ckeditor4"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.22.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.25.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/security/advisories/GHSA-6v96-m24v-f58j"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-43411"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/commit/b5069c9cb769ea22eae1cbd7200f22b1cf2e3a7f"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-08-21T18:31:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-08-21T16:15:08Z"
  }
}