CVE-2026-86431: commonmark XSS (CVSS 7.2)

Description

league/commonmark (thephpleague/commonmark) versions >= 2.7.0 and < 2.9.1 contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability in the AttributesExtension. Prefixing an attribute name with a single U+000C form feed byte (e.g. {\x0Conclick="alert(1)"}) bypasses the AttributesHelper::filterAttributes() 'on*' event-handler filter because PHP's trim() does not strip U+000C, causing the attribute to be written verbatim into the output where browsers parse it as a genuine event handler. The same prefix also defeats the allow_unsafe_links check, allowing javascript: URIs through href/src attributes even when allow_unsafe_links is false. Exploitation requires processing untrusted Markdown with the AttributesExtension enabled; the injected script executes when the rendered HTML is viewed. Fixed in 2.9.1.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.2/10

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

CVSS 4.0

6.9/10

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

EPSS Probability

0.23%

13.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-79

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
thephpleague	commonmark	>= 2.7.0, < 2.9.1

References

Timeline

Published: Sep 7, 2026
Last Modified: Sep 8, 2026
Status: Undergoing Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-86431?

league/commonmark (thephpleague/commonmark) versions >= 2.7.0 and < 2.9.1 contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability in the AttributesExtension. Prefixing an attribute name with a single U+000C form feed byte (e.g. {\x0Conclick="alert(1)"}) bypasses the AttributesHelper::filterAttributes() 'on*' event-handler filter because PHP's trim() does not strip U+000C, causing the attribute to be written verbatim into the output where browsers parse it as a genuine event handler. The same prefix also defeats the allow_unsafe_links check, allowing javascript: URIs through href/src attributes even when allow_unsafe_links is false. Exploitation requires processing untrusted Markdown with the AttributesExtension enabled; the injected script executes when the rendered HTML is viewed. Fixed in 2.9.1.

How severe is CVE-2026-86431?

CVE-2026-86431 has a CVSS score of 7.2/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.23% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-86431?

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.

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