CVE-2023-38506
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the onload attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the sandbox attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's require through the top variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the onload attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the sandbox attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's require through the top variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2023-38506- CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-42308
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the onload attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the sandbox attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's require through the top variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
- Record
EUVD-2023-42308- CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-03
NVD
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the onload attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the sandbox attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's require through the top variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2023-38506- CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) when pasting HTML into the rich text editor in Joplin
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability allows pasting untrusted data into the rich text editor to execute arbitrary code. HTML pasted into the rich text editor is not sanitized (or not sanitized properly). As such, the onload attribute of pasted images can execute arbitrary code. Because the TinyMCE editor frame does not use the sandbox attribute, such scripts can access NodeJS's require through the top variable. From this, an attacker can run arbitrary commands. This issue has been addressed in version 2.12.10 and users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2023-38506- CVSS 3.1
- 8.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-79
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-38506 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.2) in Joplin Project Joplin, published June 21, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.42%, the 36th percentile. No source names a fixed version.