CVE-2019-14863: Angular Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r5fx-8r73-v86c
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-14863 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Angular libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves angularjs cross-site scripting due to failure to sanitize `xlink.href` attributes. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.5.0-beta.1.

CVE-2019-14863 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-14863
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r5fx-8r73-v86c
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 Angular
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-2019-14863

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

angular fixed: 1.5.0-beta.1 
npm install angular@1.5.0-beta.1
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 angular

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-14863, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls angular

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Angular in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.5.0-beta.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls angular 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 Angular, 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

Versions of `angular` prior to 1.5.0-beta.1 are vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting. The package fails to sanitize `xlink:href` attributes, which may allow attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in a victim's browser if the value is user-controlled. ## Recommendation Upgrade to version 1.5.0-beta.1 or later.

CVE-2019-14863 Affected Angular Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.5.0-beta.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
angular
npm/angular
npm
< 1.5.0-beta.1
1.5.0-beta.1

References

NVD — CVE-2019-14863 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-14863
Angular Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/angular/angular.js/pull/12524
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/angular/angular.js/commit/35a21532b73d5bd84b4325211c563e6a3e2dde82
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/angular/angular.js/commit/f33ce173c90736e349cf594df717ae3ee41e0f7a
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-14863
Angular Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/angular/angular.js
snyk.io/vuln/npm:angular:20... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:angular:20150807
www.npmjs.com/advisories/1453 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1453

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-14863?
CVE-2019-14863 is a security vulnerability in Angular involving AngularJS Cross-site Scripting due to failure to sanitize `xlink.href` attributes under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Angular versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.5.0-beta.1 across affected packages: angular.
What version fixes CVE-2019-14863?
Upgrading to 1.5.0-beta.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is angular affected?
Yes, angular is affected in releases prior to 1.5.0-beta.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.5.0-beta.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-14863?
CVE-2019-14863 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-2019-14863?
CVE-2019-14863 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-2019-14863?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls angular'. 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-r5fx-8r73-v86c",
  "modified" : "2025-11-20T19:30:06Z",
  "published" : "2020-02-14T23:08:49Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-14863" ],
  "summary" : "AngularJS Cross-site Scripting due to failure to sanitize `xlink.href` attributes",
  "details" : "Versions of `angular` prior to 1.5.0-beta.1 are vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting. The package fails to sanitize `xlink:href` attributes, which may allow attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in a victim's browser if the value is user-controlled.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpgrade to version 1.5.0-beta.1 or later.",
  "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" : "angular"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.5.0-beta.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-14863"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/angular/angular.js/pull/12524"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/angular/angular.js/commit/35a21532b73d5bd84b4325211c563e6a3e2dde82"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/angular/angular.js/commit/f33ce173c90736e349cf594df717ae3ee41e0f7a"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-14863"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/angular/angular.js"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:angular:20150807"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1453"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-02-13T17:26:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-01-02T15:15:00Z"
  }
}