GHSA-cr3w-cw5w-h3fj: @saltcorn/server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-cr3w-cw5w-h3fj",
  "modified" : "2026-01-26T23:34:49Z",
  "published" : "2026-01-26T23:34:49Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "Saltcorn's Reflected XSS and Command Injection vulnerabilities can be chained for 1-click-RCE",
  "details" : "### Summary\n1. There is a reflected XSS vulnerability in the GET /admin/edit-codepage/:name route through the name parameter. This can be used to hijack the session of an admin if they click a specially crafted link.\n2. Additionally, there is a Command Injection vulnerability in GET /admin/backup. The admin can inject a shell command in the backup password which is inserted in the command used to create the backup zip.\n\n\nBoth vulnerabilities can be chained to craft a malicious link which will execute an arbitrary shell command on the server if it is clicked by a saltcorn admin with an active session. I believe iframes could also be used to exploit this silently when the admin visits an attacker-controlled web page (though I have not tested that).\n\n### Details\n1. The XSS vulnerability is here: https://github.com/saltcorn/saltcorn/blob/020893c0001678fd5ebd2c088ba68b395de1aabc/packages/server/routes/admin.js#L4886-L4887 Specifically, the name parameter is inserted into the pages breadcrumbs without sanitization.\n2. The Command Injection happens here: https://github.com/saltcorn/saltcorn/blob/020893c0001678fd5ebd2c088ba68b395de1aabc/packages/saltcorn-admin-models/models/backup.ts#L381-L382\n\n### PoC\n1. A minimal PoC for the XSS can be as simple as: http://localhost:3000/admin/edit-codepage/%3Cimg%20src%3Dx%20onerror%3Dalert%281%29%3E%0A (assuming saltcorn running at localhost:3000 and the user having an active admin session)\n2. For the Command Injection, visit the backup section of saltcorn, set an admin password like `\";$(whoami);\"` (including the quotation marks) and then click \"Download a backup\" in the \"Manual backup\" section. This should display an error page saying that /bin/sh could not find the binary named \"root\" or \"saltcorn\", depending on the user.\n\nAn example of an exploit that chains both vulnerabilities and generates the aforementioned malicious link:\n[exploit.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/24356819/exploit.zip)\n\n### Affected Versions\nEdit: The following Docker containers from docker hub were tested: 1.4.1, 1.4.0, 1.3.1, 1.3.0, 1.2.0, 1.1.2, 1.1.1, 1.0.0\nThe Command Injection is applicable to versions >= 1.3.0.\nThe XSS is applicable to versions >= 1.1.1",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "@saltcorn/server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.1.1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.5.0-beta.19"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/saltcorn/saltcorn/security/advisories/GHSA-cr3w-cw5w-h3fj"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/saltcorn/saltcorn/commit/1bf681e08c45719a52afcf3506fb5ec59f4974d5"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/saltcorn/saltcorn"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/saltcorn/saltcorn/blob/020893c0001678fd5ebd2c088ba68b395de1aabc/packages/saltcorn-admin-models/models/backup.ts#L381-L382"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/saltcorn/saltcorn/blob/020893c0001678fd5ebd2c088ba68b395de1aabc/packages/server/routes/admin.js#L4886-L4887"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-77", "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-01-26T23:34:49Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}