CVE-2020-10544: Primefaces Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-fw5f-7c6c-3vmv
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-10544 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Primefaces libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site scripting in primefaces. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 8.0.

CVE-2020-10544 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-10544
GHSA Identifier GHSA-fw5f-7c6c-3vmv
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 Primefaces
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:3.1/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-2020-10544

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

primefaces fixed: 8.0 
npm install primefaces@8.0
org.primefaces:primefaces fixed: 8.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.primefaces</groupId>
    <artifactId>primefaces</artifactId>
    <version>8.0</version>
</dependency>
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 primefaces

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-10544, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls primefaces

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Primefaces in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 8.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls primefaces 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 Primefaces, 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

An XSS issue was discovered in tooltip/tooltip.js in PrimeTek PrimeFaces 7.0.11. In a web application using PrimeFaces, an attacker can provide JavaScript code in an input field whose data is later used as a tooltip title without any input validation.

CVE-2020-10544 Affected Primefaces Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
8.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
primefaces
npm/primefaces
npm
< 8.0
8.0
org.primefaces:primefaces
maven/org.primefaces/primefaces
Maven
< 8.0
8.0

References

NVD — CVE-2020-10544 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10544
Primefaces Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/primefaces/primefaces/issues/5642
Primefaces Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/primefaces/primefaces
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/primefaces/primefaces/commit/9982c4f7a83f75e3ab06168fa283e3d6128dfd1f

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10544?
CVE-2020-10544 is a security vulnerability in Primefaces involving Cross-site Scripting in PrimeFaces under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Primefaces versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 8.0 across affected packages: primefaces, org.primefaces:primefaces.
What version fixes CVE-2020-10544?
Upgrading to 8.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is primefaces affected?
Yes, primefaces is affected in releases prior to 8.0. Upgrade your dependency to 8.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-10544?
CVE-2020-10544 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-10544?
CVE-2020-10544 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-2020-10544?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls primefaces'. 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-fw5f-7c6c-3vmv",
  "modified" : "2022-09-21T22:35:51Z",
  "published" : "2021-05-07T16:16:30Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-10544" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-site Scripting in PrimeFaces",
  "details" : "An XSS issue was discovered in tooltip/tooltip.js in PrimeTek PrimeFaces 7.0.11. In a web application using PrimeFaces, an attacker can provide JavaScript code in an input field whose data is later used as a tooltip title without any input validation.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "primefaces"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.primefaces:primefaces"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10544"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/primefaces/primefaces/issues/5642"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/primefaces/primefaces/commit/9982c4f7a83f75e3ab06168fa283e3d6128dfd1f"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/primefaces/primefaces"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-03T20:39:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-13T15:15:00Z"
  }
}