CVE-2019-20174: Auth0 lock Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2019-20174 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Auth0 lock libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves auth0-lock vulnerable to xss via unsanitized placeholder property. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 11.21.0.
CVE-2019-20174 at a Glance
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).
How to Fix CVE-2019-20174
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Auth0 lock dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
npm install auth0-lock@11.21.0
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls auth0-lock
How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-20174, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls auth0-lock
Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Auth0 lock in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 11.21.0), your application is affected.
Note: The npm ls auth0-lock 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 Auth0 lock, 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
CVE-2019-20174 Affected Auth0 lock Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
auth0-lock
|
npm |
< 11.21.0
|
11.21.0
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2019-20174?
Which Auth0 lock versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2019-20174?
Is auth0-lock affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-20174?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-20174?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2019-20174?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-w2pf-g6r8-pg22",
"modified" : "2023-09-11T18:14:11Z",
"published" : "2020-01-31T17:59:51Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-20174" ],
"summary" : "auth0-lock vulnerable to XSS via unsanitized placeholder property",
"details" : "## Overview\n\nAuth0 Lock version 11.20.4 and earlier did not properly sanitize the generated HTML code. Customers using the `additionalSignUpFields` customization option to add a checkbox to the sign-up dialog that are passing a `placeholder` property obtained from an untrusted source (e.g. a query parameter) could allow cross-site scripting (XSS) on their signup pages.\n\n## Am I affected?\n\nYou are affected by this vulnerability if all of the following conditions apply:\n\n- You are using Auth0 Lock version 11.20.4 or earlier.\n- You pass `additionalSignUpFields` as options when initializing Lock which includes a field of type `checkbox` whose `placeholder` value is obtained from an untrusted source.\n\nAn example of a vulnerable snippet is the following where the `placeholder` value is partially user-controlled by the `name` query parameter:\n\n```javascript\n<script>\n var params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);\n var options = {\n auth: {\n redirectUrl: 'http://localhost:12345/callback',\n responseType: 'code',\n params: {\n scope: 'openid email',\n },\n },\n additionalSignUpFields: [{\n name: 'agree',\n type: 'checkbox',\n placeholder: \"I agree to Terms and Conditions for \" + params.get('name'),\n }],\n };\n var lock = new Auth0Lock('<CLIENT_ID>', '<TENANT_NAME>.auth0.com', options);\n lock.show({\n allowShowPassword: true,\n initialScreen: 'signUp',\n });\n</script>\n```\n\n## How to fix that?\n\nDevelopers using Auth0’s signin solution Lock need to upgrade to version 11.21.0 or later. Version 11.21.0 introduces two changes:\n\n1. The existing `placeholder` property is now treated as plain text to mitigate the problem.\n2. A new `placeholderHTML` property is introduced that indicates the level of control it provides and that it should be only supplied from trusted sources.\n\n## Will this update impact my users?\n\nThis fix patches the Auth0 Lock widget and may require changes in application code, but it will not impact your users, their current state, or any existing sessions.\n\nDevelopers using the `placeholder` property with HTML content from a trusted source should start using the `placeholderHTML` property to continue providing the same user experience.",
"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" : "auth0-lock"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "11.21.0"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/auth0/lock/security/advisories/GHSA-w2pf-g6r8-pg22"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-20174"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/auth0/lock/commit/6c15e5659c21cd814ea119af5c51b61399598dd5"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://auth0.com/docs/security/bulletins/cve-2019-20174"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/auth0/lock/releases/tag/v11.21.0"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2020-01-31T00:31:07Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}