Cross-site scripting via unsafe relative-link sanitization
Published Aug 29, 2022 · Updated Apr 22, 2025
Cross-site scripting in jsoup before 1.15.3 allows remote attackers to execute script via crafted javascript URLs when users click links. The Cleaner mishandles control characters in javascript: URLs when SafeList.preserveRelativeLinks is enabled, allowing dangerous links to survive sanitization. Exploitation requires a site that accepts attacker HTML, uses that non-default option, lacks an effective Content Security Policy, and has a reader click the persisted link.
Summary
What happened
Cross-site scripting in jsoup before 1.15.3 allows remote attackers to execute script via crafted javascript URLs when users click links. The Cleaner mishandles control characters in javascript: URLs when SafeList.preserveRelativeLinks is enabled, allowing dangerous links to survive sanitization. Exploitation requires a site that accepts attacker HTML, uses that non-default option, lacks an effective Content Security Policy, and has a reader click the persisted link.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-36033
- Published
- Aug 29, 2022
- Updated
- Apr 22, 2025
- Vendor
- Jonathan Hedley
- Product
- jsoup
- Classifications
- CWE-87, CWE-79, T1189
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 29, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 22, 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=< 1.15.3
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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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