CVE-2024-28245: Katex KaTeX's `\includegraphics` Does Not Escape Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f98w-7cxr-ff2h
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CVSS 6.3
CWE-116
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-28245 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.3) katex's `\includegraphics` does not escape vulnerability (CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output) affecting Katex libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves katex's `\includegraphics` does not escape filename. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.16.10.

CVE-2024-28245 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-28245
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f98w-7cxr-ff2h
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.3
CWE Classification CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output
Affected Product Katex
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.3

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:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).

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

How to Fix CVE-2024-28245

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

katex fixed: 0.16.10 
npm install katex@0.16.10
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 katex

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2024-28245, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls katex

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Katex in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.16.10), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls katex 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-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output, where the product prepares a structured message for communication with another component, but encoding or escaping of the data is either missing or done incorrectly. as a result, the intended structure of the message is not preserved. In Katex, 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

### Impact KaTeX users who render untrusted mathematical expressions could encounter malicious input using `\includegraphics` that runs arbitrary JavaScript, or generate invalid HTML. ### Patches Upgrade to KaTeX v0.16.10 to remove this vulnerability. ### Workarounds * Avoid use of or turn off the `trust` option, or set it to forbid `\includegraphics` commands. * Forbid inputs containing the substring `"\\includegraphics"`. * Sanitize HTML output from KaTeX. ### Details `\includegraphics` did not properly quote its filename argument, allowing it to generate invalid or malicious HTML that runs scripts. ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue or security advisory in the [KaTeX repository](https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX/) * Email us at katex-security@mit.edu

CVE-2024-28245 Affected Katex Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.16.10
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
katex
npm/katex
npm
≥ 0.11.0
< 0.16.10
0.16.10

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX/security/advisories/GHSA-f98w-7cxr-ff2h
NVD — CVE-2024-28245 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-28245
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX/commit/c5897fcd1f73da9612a53e6b5544f1d776e17770
Katex Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-28245?
CVE-2024-28245 is a security vulnerability in Katex involving KaTeX's `\includegraphics` does not escape filename under CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output.
Which Katex versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.16.10 across affected packages: katex.
What version fixes CVE-2024-28245?
Upgrading to 0.16.10 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is katex affected?
Yes, katex is affected in releases prior to 0.16.10. Upgrade your dependency to 0.16.10 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-28245?
CVE-2024-28245 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-28245?
CVE-2024-28245 is classified under CWE-116: Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output (The product prepares a structured message for communication with another component, but encoding or escaping of the data is either missing or done incorrectly. As a result, the intended structure of the message is not preserved.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2024-28245?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls katex'. 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-f98w-7cxr-ff2h",
  "modified" : "2024-03-25T22:32:05Z",
  "published" : "2024-03-25T19:38:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-28245" ],
  "summary" : "KaTeX's `\\includegraphics` does not escape filename",
  "details" : "### Impact\nKaTeX users who render untrusted mathematical expressions could encounter malicious input using `\\includegraphics` that runs arbitrary JavaScript, or generate invalid HTML.\n\n### Patches\nUpgrade to KaTeX v0.16.10 to remove this vulnerability.\n\n### Workarounds\n* Avoid use of or turn off the `trust` option, or set it to forbid `\\includegraphics` commands.\n* Forbid inputs containing the substring `\"\\\\includegraphics\"`.\n* Sanitize HTML output from KaTeX.\n\n### Details\n`\\includegraphics` did not properly quote its filename argument, allowing it to generate invalid or malicious HTML that runs scripts.\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n\n* Open an issue or security advisory in the [KaTeX repository](https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX/)\n* Email us at katex-security@mit.edu",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "katex"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.11.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.16.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX/security/advisories/GHSA-f98w-7cxr-ff2h"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-28245"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX/commit/c5897fcd1f73da9612a53e6b5544f1d776e17770"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/KaTeX/KaTeX"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-116" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-03-25T19:38:34Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-03-25T20:15:08Z"
  }
}