XSS Vulnerability in python-lxml's clean module
Summary
CVE-2020-27783: A XSS vulnerability was discovered in python-lxml's clean module. Affects py3-lxml versions < 4.6.2-r0. Fixed in 4.6.2-r0. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
python-lxml is a Python library that provides a Pythonic binding for the C libraries libxml2 and libxslt. It allows developers to work with XML and HTML files, providing a powerful and efficient way to parse, manipulate, and generate XML and HTML content. The clean module in python-lxml is responsible for sanitizing HTML input to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Vulnerability Detail
A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability (CVE-2020-27783) was discovered in python-lxml's clean module. The module's parser did not properly imitate browsers, resulting in different behaviors between the sanitizer and the user's page. This flaw could be exploited by a remote attacker to inject and execute arbitrary HTML/JS code on the target system. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.1, indicating a moderate severity.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
4.6.2-r0
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apk add --upgrade py3-lxmlTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is essential to apply the recommended fix by updating the python-lxml package to the latest version.
Conclusion
The XSS vulnerability in python-lxml's clean module can be exploited by a remote attacker to inject and execute arbitrary HTML/JS code. It is crucial to update the python-lxml package to the latest version (4.6.2-r0 or later) to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for py3-lxml →
FAQ
python-lxml is a Python library that provides a Pythonic binding for the C libraries libxml2 and libxslt. It allows developers to work with XML and HTML files, providing a powerful and efficient way to parse, manipulate, and generate XML and HTML content.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of security vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. This can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, and other malicious activities.
The XSS vulnerability in python-lxml's clean module is due to the module's parser not properly imitating browsers. This results in different behaviors between the sanitizer and the user's page, allowing a remote attacker to inject and execute arbitrary HTML/JS code.
The impact of this vulnerability is that a remote attacker can inject and execute arbitrary HTML/JS code on the target system. This can lead to various malicious activities, such as stealing sensitive information, performing unauthorized actions, or defacing websites.
To fix this vulnerability, update the python-lxml package to version 4.6.2-r0 or later. This can be done by using the package manager or manually installing the updated version from the official python-lxml repository.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for py3-lxml.
