CVE-2023-28439
ckeditor4 plugins vulnerable to cross-site scripting caused by the editor instance destroying process
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism.
A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the sandbox attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the config.iframe_attributes option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the config.embed_keepOriginalContent option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.7
ckeditor4 plugins vulnerable to cross-site scripting caused by the editor instance destroying process
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism.
A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the sandbox attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the config.iframe_attributes option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the config.embed_keepOriginalContent option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
- Record
CVE-2023-28439- CVSS 3.1
- 4.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-32127
4.7
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism.
A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the sandbox attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the config.iframe_attributes option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the config.embed_keepOriginalContent option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
- Record
EUVD-2023-32127- CVSS 3.1
- 4.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
4.7
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism.
A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the sandbox attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the config.iframe_attributes option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the config.embed_keepOriginalContent option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
- Record
CVE-2023-28439- CVSS 3.1
- 4.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
4.7
ckeditor4 plugins vulnerable to cross-site scripting caused by the editor instance destroying process
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism.
A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the sandbox attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the config.iframe_attributes option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the config.embed_keepOriginalContent option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
- Record
CVE-2023-28439- CVSS 3.1
- 4.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2023-28439
6.1
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism. A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the sandbox attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the config.iframe_attributes option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the config.embed_keepOriginalContent option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2023-28439- CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2023-28439
4.7
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism. A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the sandbox attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the config.iframe_attributes option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the config.embed_keepOriginalContent option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2023-28439- CVSS 3.1
- 4.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.1 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-7258-1 No score
ckeditor vulnerabilities
Kevin Backhouse discovered that CKEditor did not properly sanitize HTML content. An attacker could possibly use this issue to perform cross site scripting and obtain sensitive information. This issue only affected Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. (CVE-2022-24728)
It was discovered that CKEditor did not properly handle the creation of editor instances in the Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. An attacker could possibly use this issue to perform cross site scripting and obtain sensitive information. This issue only affected Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. (CVE-2023-28439)
It was discovered that CKEditor did not properly handle parsing HTML content. An attacker could possibly use this issue to perform cross site scripting and obtain sensitive information. (CVE-2024-24815, CVE-2024-24816)
It was discovered that CKEditor did not properly sanitize version notifications. An attacker could possibly use this issue to perform cross site scripting and obtain sensitive information. This issue only affected Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.10. (CVE-2024-43411)
- Record
USN-7258-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
ckeditorDebian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.19.1+dfsg-14.22.1+dfsg-14.22.1+dfsg1-2 |
None known |
ckeditor3Debian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.6.6.1+dfsg-7 |
None known |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.4.4+dfsg1-34.5.6+dfsg-14.5.7+dfsg-14.5.7+dfsg-24.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.16.04.1~esm14.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.16.04.1~esm24.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.16.04.1~esm3 |
None known |
ldap-account-managerUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.9-15.1-15.2-15.2-1ubuntu1 |
None known |
request-tracker4Ubuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.2.11-24.2.12-34.2.12-44.2.12-5 |
None known |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.5.7+dfsg-24.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.18.04.14.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.18.04.1+esm14.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.18.04.1+esm2 |
None known |
ckeditor3Ubuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.6.6.1+dfsg-1 |
None known |
ldap-account-managerUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 5.7-16.1-16.2-1 |
None known |
request-tracker4Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.4.1-54.4.2-14.4.2-24.4.2-2ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
None known |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.11.1+dfsg-14.12.1+dfsg-14.12.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.14.12.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1+esm14.12.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1+esm2 |
None known |
Show 19 moreShow less
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
ckeditor3Ubuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.6.6.1+dfsg-33.6.6.1+dfsg-4 |
None known |
ldap-account-managerUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 6.7-1 |
None known |
request-tracker4Ubuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.4.3-24.4.3-2+deb10u3build0.20.04.1 |
None known |
ckeditor3Ubuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.6.6.1+dfsg-7 |
None known |
ldap-account-managerUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 7.5-17.7-1 |
None known |
request-tracker4Ubuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.4.4+dfsg-2ubuntu14.4.4+dfsg-2ubuntu1.22.04.1 |
None known |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.16.0+dfsg-24.16.2+dfsg-14.16.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm14.16.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm2 |
None known |
ckeditor3Ubuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.6.6.1+dfsg-7 |
None known |
ldap-account-managerUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 8.3-18.5-1 |
None known |
request-tracker4Ubuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.4.4+dfsg-2ubuntu14.4.4+dfsg-2ubuntu24.4.7+dfsg-1 |
None known |
ldap-account-managerUbuntu:25.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 9.0-1 |
None known |
request-tracker4Ubuntu:25.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.4.7+dfsg-4syncable1 |
None known |
ldap-account-managerUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 9.0-19.0-1build1 |
None known |
request-tracker4Ubuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 4.4.7+dfsg-4syncable1 |
None known |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS From an advisory covering 5 CVEs |
before 4.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.16.04.1~esm2, plus listed versions 4.4.4+dfsg1-34.5.6+dfsg-14.5.7+dfsg-14.5.7+dfsg-24.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.16.04.1~esm1 |
4.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.16.04.1~esm2 |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS From an advisory covering 5 CVEs |
before 4.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.18.04.1+esm1, plus listed versions 4.5.7+dfsg-24.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.18.04.1 |
4.5.7+dfsg-2ubuntu0.18.04.1+esm1 |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS From an advisory covering 5 CVEs |
before 4.12.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1+esm1, plus listed versions 4.11.1+dfsg-14.12.1+dfsg-14.12.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1 |
4.12.1+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1+esm1 |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:22.04:LTS From an advisory covering 5 CVEs |
before 4.16.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions 4.16.0+dfsg-24.16.2+dfsg-1 |
4.16.2+dfsg-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
ckeditorUbuntu:Pro:24.04:LTS From an advisory covering 5 CVEs |
before 4.22.1+dfsg1-2ubuntu0.24.04.1~esm1, plus listed versions 4.22.1+dfsg1-2 |
4.22.1+dfsg1-2ubuntu0.24.04.1~esm1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected, facts | ||
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-28439 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.7) in Ckeditor, published March 22, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.73%, the 54th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/security/advisories/GHSA-vh5c-xwqv-cv9g
ckeditor.com/cke4/addon/embed
ckeditor.com/cke4/addon/iframe
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/GWKG2VCPJNETVCDTXU4X6FQ2PO6XCNGN
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/VCYKD3JZWWA3ESOZG4PHJJEXT4EYIUIQ
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/L4ODGOW6PYVOXHQSMWJBOCE6DXWAI33W
Show 10 moreShow less
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/28xxx/CVE-2023-28439.json
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28439
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2023-28439
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2023-28439
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-28439
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7258-1
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2022-24728
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-24815
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-24816
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-43411