CVE-2024-45389: pagefind XSS — Fix

Description

Pagefind, a fully static search library, initializes its dynamic JavaScript and WebAssembly files relative to the location of the first script the user loads. This information is gathered by looking up the value of `document.currentScript.src`. Prior to Pagefind version 1.1.1, it is possible to "clobber" this lookup with otherwise benign HTML on the page. This will cause `document.currentScript.src` to resolve as an external domain, which will then be used by Pagefind to load dependencies. This exploit would only work in the case that an attacker could inject HTML to a live, hosted, website. In these cases, this would act as a way to escalate the privilege available to an attacker. This assumes they have the ability to add some elements to the page (for example, `img` tags with a `name` attribute), but not others, as adding a `script` to the page would itself be the cross-site scripting vector. Pagefind has tightened this resolution in version 1.1.1 by ensuring the source is loaded from a valid script element. There are no reports of this being exploited in the wild via Pagefind.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.4

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
pagefind	pagefind	< 1.1.1
pagefind	pagefind	All
pagefind	pagefind	All
pagefind	pagefind	All
pagefind	pagefind	All
pagefind	pagefind	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/CloudCannon/pagefind/commit/14ec96864eabaf1d7d809d5da0186a8856261eeb https://github.com/CloudCannon/pagefind/security/advisories/GHSA-gprj-6m2f-j9hx

Other References

https://github.com/webpack/webpack/security/advisories/GHSA-4vvj-4cpr-p986

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-45389? +

Pagefind, a fully static search library, initializes its dynamic JavaScript and WebAssembly files relative to the location of the first script the user loads. This information is gathered by looking up the value of `document.currentScript.src`. Prior to Pagefind version 1.1.1, it is possible to "clobber" this lookup with otherwise benign HTML on the page. This will cause `document.currentScript.src` to resolve as an external domain, which will then be used by Pagefind to load dependencies. This exploit would only work in the case that an attacker could inject HTML to a live, hosted, website. In these cases, this would act as a way to escalate the privilege available to an attacker. This assumes they have the ability to add some elements to the page (for example, `img` tags with a `name` attribute), but not others, as adding a `script` to the page would itself be the cross-site scripting vector. Pagefind has tightened this resolution in version 1.1.1 by ensuring the source is loaded from a valid script element. There are no reports of this being exploited in the wild via Pagefind. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.4 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-45389? +

CVE-2024-45389 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.4 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-45389? +

CVE-2024-45389 affects products from pagefind, specifically: pagefind. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-45389? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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CVE-2024-45389