CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2020-11023Exploited in the wildNVD status: Analyzed

JQuery Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2020-11023 is a medium-severity improper neutralization of input during web page generation vulnerability in jQuery, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. Affected jQuery versions: >= 1.0.3, < 3.5.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on January 23, 2025, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.

Patch now

Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.

What to do

  1. Update Drupal to 7.70 or 8.7.14 or 8.8.6, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Application Express to 20.2 or a later version.
  3. Update Blockchain Platform to 21.1.2 or a later version.
  4. CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
  5. Read the advisory on blog.jquery.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  6. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
  7. Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
JqueryjQuery>= 1.0.3, < 3.5.0Not stated
DebianDebian Linux9.0Not stated
Fedora ProjectFedora31; 32; 33Not stated
DrupalDrupal7.0 up to, but not including, 7.70; 8.7.0 up to, but not including, 8.7.14; 8.8.0 up to, but not including, 8.8.67.70, 8.7.14, 8.8.6
OracleApplication Expressbefore 20.220.2
OracleApplication Testing Suite13.3.0.1Not stated
OracleBanking Enterprise Collections2.7.0 through 2.8.0Not stated
OracleBanking Platform2.4.0 through 2.10.0Not stated
OracleBlockchain Platformbefore 21.1.2; 21.1.221.1.2
OracleBusiness Intelligence5.9.0.0.0Not stated
OracleCommunications Analytics12.1.1Not stated
OracleCommunications Eagle Application Processor16.1.0 through 16.4.0Not stated
OracleCommunications Element Manager8.1.1; 8.2.0; 8.2.1Not stated
OracleCommunications Interactive Session Recorder6.1 through 6.4Not stated
OracleCommunications Operations Monitor4.1 through 4.3; 3.4Not stated
OracleCommunications Services Gatekeeper7.0Not stated
OracleCommunications Session Report Manager8.1.1; 8.2.0; 8.2.1Not stated
OracleCommunications Session Route Manager8.1.1; 8.2.0; 8.2.1Not stated
OracleFinancial Services Regulatory Reporting For De Nederlandsche Bank8.0.4Not stated
OracleFinancial Services Revenue Management And Billing Analytics2.7; 2.8Not stated
OracleHealth Sciences Inform6.3.0Not stated
OracleHealthcare Translational Research3.2.1; 3.3.1; 3.3.2; 3.4.0Not stated
OracleHyperion Financial Reporting11.1.2.4Not stated
OracleJd Edwards Enterpriseone Orchestratorbefore 9.2.5.09.2.5.0
OracleJd Edwards Enterpriseone Toolsbefore 9.2.5.09.2.5.0

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE; 27 further products are omitted here. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
RequiredA user must take an action such as opening a file or link.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
Confidentiality
LowSome restricted data can be read.
Integrity
LowLimited modification of data is possible.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.16.9MediumCNA (github.com)
CVSS 3.16.1MediumNVD
CVSS 2.04.3MediumNVD

Official description

In jQuery versions greater than or equal to 1.0.3 and before 3.5.0, passing HTML containing <option> elements from untrusted sources - even after sanitizing it - to one of jQuery's DOM manipulation methods (i.e. .html(), .append(), and others) may execute untrusted code. This problem is patched in jQuery 3.5.0.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation

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 developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples of libraries and frameworks that make it easier to generate properly encoded output include Microsoft's Anti-XSS library, the OWASP ESAPI Encoding module, and Apache Wicket.
  • Understand all the potential areas where untrusted inputs can enter your software: parameters or arguments, cookies, anything read from the network, environment variables, reverse DNS lookups, query results, request headers, URL components, e-mail, files, filenames, databases, and any external systems that provide data to the application. Remember that such inputs may be obtained indirectly through API calls.
  • For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.

More Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerabilities (CWE-79)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
  3. Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
  4. Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
  5. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Technical write-ups (may include proof of concept)

Other references

Recent Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerabilities

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