Unauthenticated local file read via malicious HTML
Published Feb 20, 2024 · Updated Dec 3, 2025
Cross-site scripting in fraserxu Electron-PDF 20.0.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary local files through malicious HTML. Electron-PDF renders submitted HTML in Electron without neutralizing script, letting XMLHttpRequest load a file URL and place its contents in the generated PDF. No authentication or user interaction is required when an exposed PDF service accepts attacker-controlled HTML, and disclosure is limited to files readable by its process.
Summary
What happened
Cross-site scripting in fraserxu Electron-PDF 20.0.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary local files through malicious HTML. Electron-PDF renders submitted HTML in Electron without neutralizing script, letting XMLHttpRequest load a file URL and place its contents in the generated PDF. No authentication or user interaction is required when an exposed PDF service accepts attacker-controlled HTML, and disclosure is limited to files readable by its process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-1648
- Published
- Feb 20, 2024
- Updated
- Dec 3, 2025
- Vendor
- fraserxu
- Product
- Electron-PDF
- Classifications
- CWE-79, CAPEC-131, T1005
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 20, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 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=20.0.0
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
- Fluid Attacks malicious HTML local-file-read proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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