CVE-2023-37898: Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows an untrusted note opened in safe mo...

Description

Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows an untrusted note opened in safe mode to execute arbitrary code. `packages/renderer/MarkupToHtml.ts` renders note content in safe mode by surrounding it with <pre> and </pre>, without escaping any interior HTML tags. Thus, an attacker can create a note that closes the opening <pre> tag, then includes HTML that runs JavaScript. Because the rendered markdown iframe has the same origin as the toplevel document and is not sandboxed, any scripts running in the preview iframe can access the top variable and, thus, access the toplevel NodeJS `require` function. `require` can then be used to import modules like fs or child_process and run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.9 and all users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.4/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.43%

34.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Joplin Project	Joplin	< 2.12.9

References

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/iframe#sandboxTechnical Description
https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-hjmq-3qh4-g2r8Exploit, Vendor Advisory
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/iframe#sandboxTechnical Description
https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/security/advisories/GHSA-hjmq-3qh4-g2r8Exploit, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 21, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-37898?

Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows an untrusted note opened in safe mode to execute arbitrary code. `packages/renderer/MarkupToHtml.ts` renders note content in safe mode by surrounding it with <pre> and </pre>, without escaping any interior HTML tags. Thus, an attacker can create a note that closes the opening <pre> tag, then includes HTML that runs JavaScript. Because the rendered markdown iframe has the same origin as the toplevel document and is not sandboxed, any scripts running in the preview iframe can access the top variable and, thus, access the toplevel NodeJS `require` function. `require` can then be used to import modules like fs or child_process and run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.9 and all users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

How severe is CVE-2023-37898?

CVE-2023-37898 has a CVSS score of 5.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.43% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-37898?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.