GHSA-rcw3-wmx7-cphr

Suggest an improvement
Source
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rcw3-wmx7-cphr
Import Source
https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2025/03/GHSA-rcw3-wmx7-cphr/GHSA-rcw3-wmx7-cphr.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/GHSA-rcw3-wmx7-cphr
Aliases
Related
Published
2025-03-27T14:12:34Z
Modified
2025-04-11T19:02:04Z
Severity
  • 6.1 (Medium) CVSS_V3 - CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N CVSS Calculator
  • 6.9 (Medium) CVSS_V4 - CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N CVSS Calculator
Summary
Vega Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via event filter when not using CSP mode expressionInterpeter
Details

Impact

In vega 5.30.0 and lower, vega-functions 5.15.0 and lower , it was possible to call JavaScript functions from the Vega expression language that were not meant to be supported.

Patches

Patched in vega 5.31.0 / vega-functions 5.16.0

Workarounds

Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?

  • Run vega without vega.expressionInterpreter. This mode is not the default as it is slower.
  • Using the interpreter described in CSP safe mode (Content Security Policy) prevents arbitrary Javascript from running, so users of this mode are not affected by this vulnerability.

References

  • Reported to Vega-Lite by @kprevas Nov 8 2024 in https://github.com/vega/vega-lite/issues/9469 & https://github.com/vega/vega/issues/3984

Reproduction of the error in Vega by @mattijn

{
  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega/v5.json",
  "signals": [
    {
      "name": "inject_alert",
      "on": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "type": "mousedown",
              "marktype": "rect",
              "filter": ["scale(event.view.setTimeout, 'alert(\"alert\")')"]
            }
          ],
          "update": "datum"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "marks": [
    {
      "type": "rect",
      "encode": {
        "update": {
          "x": {"value": 0},
          "y": {"value": 0},
          "width": {"value": 100},
          "height": {"value": 100}
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
Database specific
{
    "nvd_published_at": "2025-03-27T14:15:52Z",
    "cwe_ids": [
        "CWE-79"
    ],
    "severity": "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2025-03-27T14:12:34Z"
}
References

Affected packages

npm / vega

Package

Affected ranges

Type
SEMVER
Events
Introduced
0Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected
Fixed
5.31.0

npm / vega-functions

Package

Affected ranges

Type
SEMVER
Events
Introduced
0Unknown introduced version / All previous versions are affected
Fixed
5.16.0