CVE-2019-11818: Opencms core Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

LOW
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-c8j6-gqq8-4prj
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CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-11818 is a LOW cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Opencms core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves alkacon opencms xss via new user module. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 11.0.0.

CVE-2019-11818 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-11818
GHSA Identifier GHSA-c8j6-gqq8-4prj
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Opencms core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2019-11818

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

org.opencms:opencms-core fixed: 11.0.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.opencms</groupId>
    <artifactId>opencms-core</artifactId>
    <version>11.0.0</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: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencms

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-11818, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencms

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Opencms core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 11.0.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencms command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

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 Opencms core, 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

Alkacon OpenCMS v10.5.4 and before is affected by stored cross site scripting (XSS) in the module New User (/opencms/system/workplace/admin/accounts/user_new.jsp). This allows an attacker to insert arbitrary JavaScript as user input (First Name or Last Name), which will be executed whenever the affected snippet is loaded.

CVE-2019-11818 Affected Opencms core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
11.0.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.opencms:opencms-core
maven/org.opencms/opencms-core
Maven
< 11.0.0
11.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2019-11818 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11818
Opencms core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core/issues/635
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core/commit/b20c293aac133e110a053f1e6665a9ae82cfdeb3
Opencms core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core
Opencms core Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/04/30/3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-11818?
CVE-2019-11818 is a security vulnerability in Opencms core involving Alkacon OpenCMS XSS via New User module under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Opencms core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 11.0.0 across affected packages: org.opencms:opencms-core.
What version fixes CVE-2019-11818?
Upgrading to 11.0.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is opencms-core affected?
Yes, org.opencms:opencms-core is affected in releases prior to 11.0.0. Upgrade your dependency to 11.0.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-11818?
CVE-2019-11818 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 Maven dependencies for CVE-2019-11818?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opencms'. 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-c8j6-gqq8-4prj",
  "modified" : "2025-06-20T16:05:34Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T21:59:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-11818" ],
  "summary" : "Alkacon OpenCMS XSS via New User module",
  "details" : "Alkacon OpenCMS v10.5.4 and before is affected by stored cross site scripting (XSS) in the module New User (/opencms/system/workplace/admin/accounts/user_new.jsp). This allows an attacker to insert arbitrary JavaScript as user input (First Name or Last Name), which will be executed whenever the affected snippet is loaded.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N/E:U"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.opencms:opencms-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "11.0.0"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 10.5.4"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11818"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core/issues/635"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core/commit/b20c293aac133e110a053f1e6665a9ae82cfdeb3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/04/30/3"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-06-20T16:05:34Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-05-08T16:29:00Z"
  }
}