CVE-2023-38506 (GCVE-0-2023-38506)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2024-06-21 19:43 – Updated: 2024-08-02 17:46
VLAI
Title
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin
Summary
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the `onload` attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the `sandbox` attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's `require` through the `top` variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Severity
8.2 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L
SSVC
Exploitation: poc Automatable: no Technical Impact: partial
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2024-06-24 13:57 UTC
CWE
  • CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Assigner
GitHub_M CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard C 72/100 over 7886 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
laurent22 joplin Affected: < 2.12.10
guessed Create a notification for this product.
joplin_project joplin Affected: 0 , < 2.12.10 (custom)
    cpe:2.3:a:joplin_project:joplin:0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "affected": [
          {
            "cpes": [
              "cpe:2.3:a:joplin_project:joplin:0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
            ],
            "defaultStatus": "unknown",
            "product": "joplin",
            "vendor": "joplin_project",
            "versions": [
              {
                "lessThan": "2.12.10",
                "status": "affected",
                "version": "0",
                "versionType": "custom"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2023-38506",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "poc"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2024-06-24T13:57:21.359902Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2024-06-24T14:03:04.363Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      },
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2024-08-02T17:46:55.757Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "name": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399",
            "tags": [
              "x_refsource_CONFIRM",
              "x_transferred"
            ],
            "url": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "joplin",
          "vendor": "laurent22",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 2.12.10"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the `onload` attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the `sandbox` attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS\u0027s `require` through the `top` variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "LOW",
            "baseScore": 8.2,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "LOW",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "scope": "CHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L",
            "version": "3.1"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-79",
              "description": "CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (\u0027Cross-site Scripting\u0027)",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2024-06-21T19:43:24.161Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "name": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399",
          "tags": [
            "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
    "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-38506",
    "datePublished": "2024-06-21T19:43:24.161Z",
    "dateReserved": "2023-07-18T16:28:12.077Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2024-08-02T17:46:55.757Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.1",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2023-38506",
      "date": "2026-11-14",
      "epss": "0.00422",
      "percentile": "0.37036"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "product": "joplin",
                "vendor": "laurent22",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "\u003c 2.12.10"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com"
          },
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "cpes": [
                  "cpe:2.3:a:joplin_project:joplin:0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
                ],
                "defaultStatus": "unknown",
                "product": "joplin",
                "vendor": "joplin_project",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThan": "2.12.10",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "0",
                    "versionType": "custom"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0"
          }
        ],
        "configurations": [
          {
            "nodes": [
              {
                "cpeMatch": [
                  {
                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:joplin_project:joplin:*:*:*:*:*:-:*:*",
                    "matchCriteriaId": "D3D41104-B079-4E4E-849D-501724590C0E",
                    "versionEndExcluding": "2.12.10",
                    "vulnerable": true
                  }
                ],
                "negate": false,
                "operator": "OR"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the `onload` attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the `sandbox` attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS\u0027s `require` through the `top` variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability."
          },
          {
            "lang": "es",
            "value": "Joplin es una aplicaci\u00f3n gratuita y de c\u00f3digo abierto para tomar notas y tareas pendientes. Una vulnerabilidad de Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) permite pegar datos que no son de confianza en el editor de texto enriquecido para ejecutar c\u00f3digo arbitrario. El HTML pegado en el editor de texto enriquecido no se sanitiza (o no se sanitiza correctamente). Como tal, el atributo \"onload\" de las im\u00e1genes pegadas puede ejecutar c\u00f3digo arbitrario. Debido a que el marco del editor TinyMCE no utiliza el atributo `sandbox`, dichos scripts pueden acceder al `require` de NodeJS a trav\u00e9s de la variable `top`. A partir de esto, un atacante puede ejecutar comandos arbitrarios. Este problema se solucion\u00f3 en la versi\u00f3n 2.12.10 y se recomienda a los usuarios que actualicen. No se conocen workarounds para esta vulnerabilidad."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2023-38506",
        "lastModified": "2026-06-17T06:10:36.447",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "LOW",
                "baseScore": 8.2,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "LOW",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "CHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 2.3,
              "impactScore": 5.3,
              "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
              "type": "Secondary"
            },
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
                "baseScore": 5.4,
                "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
                "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
                "integrityImpact": "LOW",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "CHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 2.3,
              "impactScore": 2.7,
              "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
              "type": "Primary"
            }
          ],
          "ssvcV203": [
            {
              "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "ssvcData": {
                "id": "CVE-2023-38506",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "exploitation": "poc"
                  },
                  {
                    "automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "technicalImpact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2024-06-24T13:57:21.359902Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              }
            }
          ]
        },
        "published": "2024-06-21T20:15:12.003",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "tags": [
              "Exploit",
              "Vendor Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399"
          },
          {
            "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
            "tags": [
              "Exploit",
              "Vendor Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "security-advisories@github.com",
        "vulnStatus": "Analyzed",
        "weaknesses": [
          {
            "description": [
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "CWE-79"
              }
            ],
            "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
            "type": "Secondary"
          },
          {
            "description": [
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "CWE-79"
              }
            ],
            "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
            "type": "Primary"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "current_release_date": "2025-05-28T22:52:27+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2023-38506",
      "id": "CVE-2023-38506",
      "initial_release_date": "2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "1",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-38506.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "vulnrichment": {
      "containers": {
        "adp": [
          {
            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2024-08-02T17:46:55.757Z",
              "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
              "shortName": "CVE"
            },
            "references": [
              {
                "name": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399",
                "tags": [
                  "x_refsource_CONFIRM",
                  "x_transferred"
                ],
                "url": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399"
              }
            ],
            "title": "CVE Program Container"
          },
          {
            "affected": [
              {
                "cpes": [
                  "cpe:2.3:a:joplin_project:joplin:0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
                ],
                "defaultStatus": "unknown",
                "product": "joplin",
                "vendor": "joplin_project",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThan": "2.12.10",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "0",
                    "versionType": "custom"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "metrics": [
              {
                "other": {
                  "content": {
                    "id": "CVE-2023-38506",
                    "options": [
                      {
                        "Exploitation": "poc"
                      },
                      {
                        "Automatable": "no"
                      },
                      {
                        "Technical Impact": "partial"
                      }
                    ],
                    "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                    "timestamp": "2024-06-24T13:57:21.359902Z",
                    "version": "2.0.3"
                  },
                  "type": "ssvc"
                }
              }
            ],
            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2024-06-24T14:02:46.725Z",
              "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
            },
            "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
          }
        ],
        "cna": {
          "affected": [
            {
              "product": "joplin",
              "vendor": "laurent22",
              "versions": [
                {
                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "\u003c 2.12.10"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the `onload` attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the `sandbox` attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS\u0027s `require` through the `top` variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability."
            }
          ],
          "metrics": [
            {
              "cvssV3_1": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "LOW",
                "baseScore": 8.2,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "LOW",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "CHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L",
                "version": "3.1"
              }
            }
          ],
          "problemTypes": [
            {
              "descriptions": [
                {
                  "cweId": "CWE-79",
                  "description": "CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (\u0027Cross-site Scripting\u0027)",
                  "lang": "en",
                  "type": "CWE"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "providerMetadata": {
            "dateUpdated": "2024-06-21T19:43:24.161Z",
            "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
            "shortName": "GitHub_M"
          },
          "references": [
            {
              "name": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399",
              "tags": [
                "x_refsource_CONFIRM"
              ],
              "url": "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399"
            }
          ],
          "source": {
            "advisory": "GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399",
            "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
          },
          "title": "Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin"
        }
      },
      "cveMetadata": {
        "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "assignerShortName": "GitHub_M",
        "cveId": "CVE-2023-38506",
        "datePublished": "2024-06-21T19:43:24.161Z",
        "dateReserved": "2023-07-18T16:28:12.077Z",
        "dateUpdated": "2024-08-02T17:46:55.757Z",
        "state": "PUBLISHED"
      },
      "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
      "dataVersion": "5.1"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.




Drag nodes to arrange them. Double-click a related vulnerability to open it, or a source to visit its link. The Physics button on the left tunes the layout and the simulation; the legend at the bottom left hides or shows nodes by kind and by sighting type.

Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Vulnerability timeline

Sightings and recorded dates, grouped by day · UTC

JSON
How durations are calculated

Following the VTEM framework (Black Hat USA 2015), time to patch starts when the vendor or a coordinator was informed, total time to patch at discovery, and disclosure to patch at public disclosure; vendor response time runs from the report to its acknowledgement. Time to exploit and time unpatched start at the earliest discovery or report, falling back to public disclosure. Unpatched time ends at the first recorded patch, or the calculation time when no patch is recorded. Exploitation to patch shows the interval between those two events; a published proof of concept is a public exploit, not exploitation.

Each result shows its source dates. A negative interval means the end event came first; when date-only inputs leave the order open, the result says so. Date-only inputs are approximate. The earliest evidence wins: KEV report dates and sightings are labelled as such. Records describing another vulnerability are listed but never calculated from, and a PoC alone does not establish exploitation. Missing patch evidence does not prove that no patch exists. Filters below change the event list only.

Loading timeline…




    Related by attack behaviour

    Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.