Cross-site scripting via unsanitized data URIs
Published Dec 14, 2022 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Cross-site scripting in Rails rails-html-sanitizer 1.0.3 through 1.4.3 allows remote attackers to execute script via crafted data URIs. PermitScrubber's scrub_attribute path omits Loofah's safe-data-URI checks, so Base64-encoded HTML scripts remain in allowed URI attributes. Exploitation requires Loofah 2.1.0 or later, application acceptance of attacker-controlled HTML, and a user to render the sanitized output.
Summary
What happened
Cross-site scripting in Rails rails-html-sanitizer 1.0.3 through 1.4.3 allows remote attackers to execute script via crafted data URIs. PermitScrubber's scrub_attribute path omits Loofah's safe-data-URI checks, so Base64-encoded HTML scripts remain in allowed URI attributes. Exploitation requires Loofah 2.1.0 or later, application acceptance of attacker-controlled HTML, and a user to render the sanitized output.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-23518
- Published
- Dec 14, 2022
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Rails
- Product
- rails-html-sanitizer
- Classifications
- CWE-79, T1059.007
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 14, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=>= 1.0.3, < 1.4.4
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Base64 data-URI XSS regression testproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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