This article is a part of our Vulnerability Database (back to index)

Cross-site Scripting occurrences in Superset

Apache Superset up to and including 1.1 does not sanitize titles correctly on the Explore page. This allows an attacker with Explore access to save a chart with a malicious title, injecting html (including scripts) into the page. (2021-10-18, CVE-2021-32609)

Apache Superset up to and including 0.38.0 allowed the creation of a Markdown component on a Dashboard page for describing chart's related information. Abusing this functionality, a malicious user could inject javascript code executing unwanted action in the context of the user's browser. The javascript code will be automatically executed (Stored XSS) when a legitimate user surfs on the dashboard page. The vulnerability is exploitable creating a “div” section and embedding in it a “svg” element with javascript code. (2021-03-05, CVE-2021-27907)

Why Cross-site Scripting can be dangerous

Cross site scripting is an attack where a web page executes code that is injected by an adversary. It usually appears, when users input is presented. This attack can be used to impersonate a user, take over control of the session, or even steal API keys.

The attack can be executed e.g. when you application injects the request parameter directly into the HTML code of the page returned to the user:

https://server.com/confirmation?message=Transaction+Complete

what results in:

<span>Confirmation: Transaction Complete</span>

In that case the message can be modified to become a valid Javascript code, e.g.:

https://server.com/confirmation?message=<script>dangerous javascript code here</script>

and it will be executed locally by the user's browser with full access to the user's personal application/browser data:

<span>Confirmation: <script>dangerous javascript code here</script></span>

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