CVE-2019-19935: Froala editor Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-h236-g5gh-vq6c
CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-19935 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Froala editor libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves dom-based cross-site scripting in froala editor. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.2.3.

CVE-2019-19935 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-19935
GHSA Identifier GHSA-h236-g5gh-vq6c
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 Froala editor
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-2019-19935

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

froala-editor fixed: 3.2.3
npm install froala-editor@3.2.3
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 froala-editor

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-19935, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls froala-editor

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Froala editor in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.2.3), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls froala-editor 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 Froala editor, 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

Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor is a lightweight WYSIWYG HTML Editor written in JavaScript that enables rich text editing capabilities for web applications. A DOM-based cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in versions before 3.2.3 because HTML code in the editor is not correctly sanitized when inserted into the DOM. This allows an attacker that can control the editor content to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim’s session.

CVE-2019-19935 Affected Froala editor Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.2.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
froala-editor
npm
< 3.2.3
3.2.3

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-19935?
CVE-2019-19935 is a security vulnerability in Froala editor involving DOM-based cross-site scripting in Froala Editor under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Froala editor versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.2.3 across affected packages: froala-editor.
What version fixes CVE-2019-19935?
Upgrading to 3.2.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is froala-editor affected?
Yes, froala-editor is affected in releases prior to 3.2.3. Upgrade your dependency to 3.2.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-19935?
CVE-2019-19935 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-2019-19935?
CVE-2019-19935 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-2019-19935?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls froala-editor'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-h236-g5gh-vq6c",
  "modified" : "2022-10-31T15:55:40Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-10T23:32:51Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-19935" ],
  "summary" : "DOM-based cross-site scripting in Froala Editor",
  "details" : "Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor is a lightweight WYSIWYG HTML Editor written in JavaScript that enables rich text editing capabilities for web applications. A DOM-based cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in versions before 3.2.3 because HTML code in the editor is not correctly sanitized when inserted into the DOM. This allows an attacker that can control the editor content to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim’s session.",
  "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" : "froala-editor"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.2.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-19935"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://blog.compass-security.com/2020/07/yet-another-froala-0-day-xss"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://compass-security.com/fileadmin/Datein/Research/Advisories/CSNC-2020-004_DOM_XSS_in_Froala_WYSIWYG_HTML_Editor.txt"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://froala.com/wysiwyg-editor/changelog/#3.2.3"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/froala/wysiwyg-editor-release"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/froala/wysiwyg-editor/compare/v3.0.5...v3.0.6"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:froala-editor"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/158300/Froala-WYSIWYG-HTML-Editor-3.1.1-Cross-Site-Scripting.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-11T17:34:13Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-07-07T16:15:00Z"
  }
}