CVE-2021-37502: Automad/automad Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q3c8-65q7-9v78
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CVSS 4.8
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-37502 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.8) cross site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Automad/automad libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves cross site scripting in automad/automad. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.8.0.

CVE-2021-37502 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-37502
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q3c8-65q7-9v78
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.8
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Automad/automad
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.8

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:L/I:L/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 Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-37502

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

automad/automad fixed: 1.8.0 
Upgrade automad/automad to 1.8.0
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 automad/automad

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-37502, inspect your project dependencies for Automad/automad:

inspect dependencies for automad/automad

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Automad/automad in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.8.0), 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 Automad/automad, 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

Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in automad 1.7.5 allows remote attackers to run arbitrary code via the user name field when adding a user.

CVE-2021-37502 Affected Automad/automad Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.8.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
automad/automad
 Packagist
< 1.8.0
1.8.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-37502 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-37502
Automad/automad Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/marcantondahmen/automad/issues/29

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-37502?
CVE-2021-37502 is a security vulnerability in Automad/automad involving Cross site scripting in automad/automad under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Automad/automad versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.8.0 across affected packages: automad/automad.
What version fixes CVE-2021-37502?
Upgrading to 1.8.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is automad/automad affected?
Yes, automad/automad is affected in releases prior to 1.8.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.8.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-37502?
CVE-2021-37502 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-37502?
CVE-2021-37502 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-2021-37502?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for automad/automad'. 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-q3c8-65q7-9v78",
  "modified" : "2024-08-19T20:49:56Z",
  "published" : "2023-02-03T18:30:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-37502" ],
  "summary" : "Cross site scripting in automad/automad",
  "details" : "Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in automad 1.7.5 allows remote attackers to run arbitrary code via the user name field when adding a user.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "automad/automad"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.8.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-37502"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/marcantondahmen/automad/issues/29"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-02-04T00:30:20Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-02-03T18:15:00Z"
  }
}