CVE-2017-16010: I18next Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-cmh5-qc8w-xvcq
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-16010 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting I18next libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site scripting in i18next. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.4.4.

CVE-2017-16010 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-16010
GHSA Identifier GHSA-cmh5-qc8w-xvcq
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 I18next
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-2017-16010

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected I18next dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

i18next fixed: 3.4.4 
npm install i18next@3.4.4
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 i18next

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2017-16010, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls i18next

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of I18next in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.4.4), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls i18next 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 I18next, 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 `i18next` may fail to sanitize user input when certain configuration options are used. When using the `.init` method, passing interpolation options without passing an `escapeValue` will default to `undefined` rather than the assumed `true`. ## Proof of Concept ```js var init = i18n.init({ interpolation: { prefix: "__", suffix: "__", escapeValue: true } }, function(){ var test = i18n.t('__firstName__ __lastName__', { firstName: 'Bob', lastName: '["foo","bar"]', }); console.log(test); }); ``` When `escapeValue` is explicitly passed, the result of `test` is: ```html &lt;script&gt;alert(1)&lt;&#x2F;script&gt; Johnson ``` This is supposed to be the default. However, if `escapeValue` is not included, the result is the unescaped string: ```html <script>alert(1)</script> Johnson ``` ## Recommendation Update to version 3.4.4 or later.

CVE-2017-16010 Affected I18next Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.4.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
i18next
npm/i18next
npm
≥ 2.0.0
< 3.4.4
3.4.4

References

NVD — CVE-2017-16010 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16010
I18next Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/i18next/i18next/pull/826
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cmh5-qc8w-xvcq
www.npmjs.com/advisories/326 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/326

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-16010?
CVE-2017-16010 is a security vulnerability in I18next involving Cross-Site Scripting in i18next under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which I18next versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.4.4 across affected packages: i18next.
What version fixes CVE-2017-16010?
Upgrading to 3.4.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is i18next affected?
Yes, i18next is affected in releases prior to 3.4.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.4.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-16010?
CVE-2017-16010 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-2017-16010?
CVE-2017-16010 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-2017-16010?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls i18next'. 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-cmh5-qc8w-xvcq",
  "modified" : "2023-09-08T23:58:14Z",
  "published" : "2018-07-24T19:58:33Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-16010" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-Site Scripting in i18next",
  "details" : "Affected versions of `i18next` may fail to sanitize user input when certain configuration options are used. When using the `.init` method, passing interpolation options without passing an `escapeValue` will default to `undefined` rather than the assumed `true`. \n\n## Proof of Concept\n\n```js\nvar init = i18n.init({\n  interpolation: {\n    prefix: \"__\",\n    suffix: \"__\",\n    escapeValue: true\n  }\n}, function(){\n  var test = i18n.t('__firstName__ __lastName__', {\n        firstName: 'Bob',\n        lastName: '[\"foo\",\"bar\"]',\n  });\n  console.log(test);\n});\n```\nWhen `escapeValue` is explicitly passed, the result of `test` is: \n\n```html\n&lt;script&gt;alert(1)&lt;&#x2F;script&gt; Johnson\n```\n\nThis is supposed to be the default. However, if `escapeValue` is not included, the result is the unescaped string: \n \n```html\n<script>alert(1)</script> Johnson\n```\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 3.4.4 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" : "i18next"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.4.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16010"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/i18next/i18next/pull/826"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cmh5-qc8w-xvcq"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/326"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:31:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}