CVE-2021-42227: Kindeditor Cross Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wv83-jrfh-rp33
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-42227 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Kindeditor libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves cross site scripting in kindeditor. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-42227 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-42227
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wv83-jrfh-rp33
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 Kindeditor
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-2021-42227

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

kindeditor fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install kindeditor@Latest secure release
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 kindeditor

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-42227, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls kindeditor

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

Note: The npm ls kindeditor 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 Kindeditor, 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 exists in KindEditor 4.1.x via a Google search inurl:/examples/uploadbutton.html and then the .html file on the website that uses this editor (the file suffix is allowed).

CVE-2021-42227 Affected Kindeditor Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
kindeditor
npm/kindeditor
npm
≤ 4.1.12

References

NVD — CVE-2021-42227 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-42227
Kindeditor Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/kindsoft/kindeditor/issues/336
Kindeditor Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/kindsoft/kindeditor

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-42227?
CVE-2021-42227 is a security vulnerability in Kindeditor involving Cross site scripting in kindeditor under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Kindeditor versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: kindeditor.
What version fixes CVE-2021-42227?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is kindeditor affected?
Yes, kindeditor is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-42227?
CVE-2021-42227 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-2021-42227?
CVE-2021-42227 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-2021-42227?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls kindeditor'. 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-wv83-jrfh-rp33",
  "modified" : "2021-10-21T14:56:27Z",
  "published" : "2021-10-18T19:44:32Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-42227" ],
  "summary" : "Cross site scripting in kindeditor",
  "details" : "Cross SIte Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in KindEditor 4.1.x via a Google search inurl:/examples/uploadbutton.html and then the .html file on the website that uses this editor (the file suffix is allowed).",
  "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" : "kindeditor"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "4.1.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-42227"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/kindsoft/kindeditor/issues/336"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/kindsoft/kindeditor"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-10-15T17:38:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-10-14T17:15:00Z"
  }
}