CKEditor4 Cross-site Scripting vulnerability caused by incorrect CDATA detection
Affected packages
The vulnerability has been discovered in the core HTML parsing module and may affect all editor instances that:
- Enabled full-page editing mode,
- or enabled CDATA elements in Advanced Content Filtering configuration (defaults to
scriptandstyleelements).
Impact
A potential vulnerability has been discovered in CKEditor 4 HTML processing core module. The vulnerability allowed to inject malformed HTML content bypassing Advanced Content Filtering mechanism, which could result in executing JavaScript code. An attacker could abuse faulty CDATA content detection and use it to prepare an intentional attack on the editor. It affects all users using the CKEditor 4 at version < 4.24.0-lts.
Patches
The problem has been recognized and patched. The fix will be available in version 4.24.0-lts.
For more information
Email us at security@cksource.com if you have any questions or comments about this advisory.
Acknowledgements
The CKEditor 4 team would like to thank Michal Frýba from ALEF NULA for recognizing and reporting this vulnerability.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composer package | ckeditor/ckeditor | < 4.24.0 | 4.24.0 |
| npm package | ckeditor4 | < 4.24.0-lts | 4.24.0-lts |
References
- https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/security/advisories/GHSA-fq6h-4g8v-qqvm
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-24815
- https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/commit/8ed1a3c93d0ae5f49f4ecff5738ab8a2972194cb
- https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor4/latest/api/CKEDITOR_dtd.html#property-S-cdata
- https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor4/latest/features/fullpage.html
- https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor4/latest/guide/dev_advanced_content_filter.html
- https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4
- https://www.drupal.org/sa-contrib-2024-009
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-79- Platform
- Composer, npm
- Package
ckeditor/ckeditor, ckeditor4- Disclosed
- 07.02.2024
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-fq6h-4g8v-qqvm - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: ckeditor/ckeditor
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Composer package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 4
- First → latest
- 11.2021 08.2024
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 1
- Medium 3
Disclosures per year
- 2021: 1
- 2022: 1
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 2
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
-
CKEditor4 Cross-site Scripting vulnerability caused by incorrect CDATA detection this entry
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