CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A potential vulnerability has been discovered in CKEditor 4 Code Snippet GeSHi plugin. The vulnerability allowed a reflected XSS attack by exploiting a flaw in the GeSHi syntax highlighter library hosted by the victim. The GeSHi library was included as a vendor dependency in CKEditor 4 source files. In a specific scenario, an attacker could craft a malicious script that could be executed by sending a request to the GeSHi library hosted on a PHP web server. The GeSHi library is no longer actively maintained. Due to the lack of ongoing support and updates, potential security vulnerabilities have been identified with its continued use. To mitigate these risks and enhance the overall security of the CKEditor 4, we have decided to completely remove the GeSHi library as a dependency. This change aims to maintain a secure environment and reduce the risk of any security incidents related to outdated or unsupported software. The fix is be available in version 4.25.0-lts.
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.1, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity though user interaction is required and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts limited data confidentiality, limited integrity, for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from ckeditor organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2024, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2024-08-21T15:15:09.397
2024-08-23T16:20:42.363
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 6.1 (MEDIUM)
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For ckeditor's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.