CVE-2021-41169: Sulu/sulu Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-h58v-g3q6-q9fx
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CVSS 6.2
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-41169 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.2) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Sulu/sulu libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves improper neutralization of script-related html tags in a web page (basic xss) in sulu/sulu. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.6.43.

CVE-2021-41169 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-41169
GHSA Identifier GHSA-h58v-g3q6-q9fx
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.2
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Sulu/sulu
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.2

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-41169

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

sulu/sulu fixed: 1.6.43 
Upgrade sulu/sulu to 1.6.43
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for sulu/sulu

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-41169, inspect your project dependencies for Sulu/sulu:

inspect dependencies for sulu/sulu

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Sulu/sulu in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.6.43), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

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 Sulu/sulu, 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 _What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?_ It is an issue when input HTML into the Tag name. The HTML is execute when the tag name is listed in the auto complete form. Only admin users are affected and only admin users can create tags. ### Patches _Has the problem been patched? What versions should users upgrade to?_ The problem is patched with Version 1.6.42. ### Workarounds _Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?_ Create a custom request listener to avoid that this kind of tags are created. ### References _Are there any links users can visit to find out more?_ Currently not. ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue in [sulu/sulu repository](https://github.com/sulu/sulu/issues) * Email us at [security@sulu.io](mailto:security@sulu.io)

CVE-2021-41169 Affected Sulu/sulu Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.6.43
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
sulu/sulu
 Packagist
< 1.6.43
1.6.43

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/sulu/sulu/security/advisories/GHSA-h58v-g3q6-q9fx
NVD — CVE-2021-41169 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41169
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/sulu/sulu/commit/20007ac70a3af3c9e53a6acb0ef8794b65642445
Sulu/sulu Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/sulu/sulu

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-41169?
CVE-2021-41169 is a security vulnerability in Sulu/sulu involving Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS) in sulu/sulu under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Sulu/sulu versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.6.43 across affected packages: sulu/sulu.
What version fixes CVE-2021-41169?
Upgrading to 1.6.43 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is sulu/sulu affected?
Yes, sulu/sulu is affected in releases prior to 1.6.43. Upgrade your dependency to 1.6.43 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-41169?
CVE-2021-41169 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.2 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-41169?
CVE-2021-41169 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 Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-41169?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for sulu/sulu'. 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-h58v-g3q6-q9fx",
  "modified" : "2021-10-21T21:33:34Z",
  "published" : "2021-10-22T16:20:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-41169" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS) in sulu/sulu",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\n_What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?_\n\nIt is an issue when input HTML into the Tag name. The HTML is execute when the tag name is listed in the auto complete form.\nOnly admin users are affected and only admin users can create tags.\n\n### Patches\n\n_Has the problem been patched? What versions should users upgrade to?_\n\nThe problem is patched with Version 1.6.42.\n\n### Workarounds\n\n_Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?_\n\nCreate a custom request listener to avoid that this kind of tags are created.\n\n### References\n\n_Are there any links users can visit to find out more?_\n\nCurrently not.\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n\n* Open an issue in [sulu/sulu repository](https://github.com/sulu/sulu/issues)\n* Email us at [security@sulu.io](mailto:security@sulu.io)\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "sulu/sulu"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.6.43"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/sulu/sulu/security/advisories/GHSA-h58v-g3q6-q9fx"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41169"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/sulu/sulu/commit/20007ac70a3af3c9e53a6acb0ef8794b65642445"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/sulu/sulu"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-10-21T21:33:34Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-10-21T21:15:00Z"
  }
}