CVE-2021-45919: Studio 42/elfinder Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-c3j8-q5x6-2855
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CVSS 5.4
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-45919 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.4) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Studio 42/elfinder libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves studio 42 elfinder allows stored xss. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-45919 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-45919
GHSA Identifier GHSA-c3j8-q5x6-2855
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.4
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Studio 42/elfinder
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.4

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
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-2021-45919

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Studio 42/elfinder dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

studio-42/elfinder fixed: Latest secure release 
Upgrade studio-42/elfinder to Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

inspect dependencies for studio-42/elfinder

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-45919, inspect your project dependencies for Studio 42/elfinder:

inspect dependencies for studio-42/elfinder

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Studio 42/elfinder in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

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 Studio 42/elfinder, 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

Studio 42 elFinder through 2.1.31 allows XSS via an SVG document.

CVE-2021-45919 Affected Studio 42/elfinder Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
studio-42/elfinder
 Packagist
≤ 2.1.31

References

NVD — CVE-2021-45919 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-45919
www.trustwave.com/en-us/resources/blo... WEB
https://www.trustwave.com/en-us/resources/blogs/spiderlabs-blog/from-stored-xss-to-rce-using-beef-and-elfinder-cve-2021-45919

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-45919?
CVE-2021-45919 is a security vulnerability in Studio 42/elfinder involving Studio 42 elFinder allows stored XSS under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Studio 42/elfinder versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: studio-42/elfinder.
What version fixes CVE-2021-45919?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is studio-42/elfinder affected?
Yes, studio-42/elfinder is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-45919?
CVE-2021-45919 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-45919?
CVE-2021-45919 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 Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-45919?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for studio-42/elfinder'. 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-c3j8-q5x6-2855",
  "modified" : "2023-07-12T00:19:39Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-10T00:00:32Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-45919" ],
  "summary" : "Studio 42 elFinder allows stored XSS",
  "details" : "Studio 42 elFinder through 2.1.31 allows XSS via an SVG document.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "studio-42/elfinder"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.1.31"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-45919"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.trustwave.com/en-us/resources/blogs/spiderlabs-blog/from-stored-xss-to-rce-using-beef-and-elfinder-cve-2021-45919"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-12T00:19:39Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-02-08T23:15:00Z"
  }
}