CVE-2026-48591
Stored XSS via unescaped HTML attribute values in earmark
Improper Neutralization of Script in Attributes in a Web Page vulnerability in pragdave earmark allows stored cross-site scripting via unescaped HTML attribute values.
'Elixir.Earmark.Transform':_make_att1/2 in lib/earmark/transform.ex splices attribute values verbatim between two literal " bytes: [" ", name, "="", value, """]. Text nodes are routed through the existing escape function which encodes " as ", but attribute values never visit that path. A markdown link whose URL or title contains a bare " closes the attribute early and lets the trailing bytes be parsed by the browser as fresh HTML attributes. For example, [click](http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)) renders as <a href="http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)">click</a>, executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser.
The earmark library is no longer maintained and has been retired on Hex. No patched version will be released. All releases from 1.4.1 onward are affected, and users should migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx.
This issue affects earmark from 1.4.1 onward.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
4.8
Stored XSS via unescaped HTML attribute values in earmark
Improper Neutralization of Script in Attributes in a Web Page vulnerability in pragdave earmark allows stored cross-site scripting via unescaped HTML attribute values.
'Elixir.Earmark.Transform':_make_att1/2 in lib/earmark/transform.ex splices attribute values verbatim between two literal " bytes: [" ", name, "="", value, """]. Text nodes are routed through the existing escape function which encodes " as ", but attribute values never visit that path. A markdown link whose URL or title contains a bare " closes the attribute early and lets the trailing bytes be parsed by the browser as fresh HTML attributes. For example, [click](http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)) renders as <a href="http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)">click</a>, executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser.
The earmark library is no longer maintained and has been retired on Hex. No patched version will be released. All releases from 1.4.1 onward are affected, and users should migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx.
This issue affects earmark from 1.4.1 onward.
- Record
CVE-2026-48591- CVSS 4.0
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-83
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-37761
4.8
Improper Neutralization of Script in Attributes in a Web Page vulnerability in pragdave earmark allows stored cross-site scripting via unescaped HTML attribute values.
'Elixir.Earmark.Transform':_make_att1/2 in lib/earmark/transform.ex splices attribute values verbatim between two literal " bytes: [" ", name, "="", value, """]. Text nodes are routed through the existing escape function which encodes " as ", but attribute values never visit that path. A markdown link whose URL or title contains a bare " closes the attribute early and lets the trailing bytes be parsed by the browser as fresh HTML attributes. For example, [click](http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)) renders as <a href="http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)">click</a>, executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser.
The earmark library is no longer maintained and has been retired on Hex. No patched version will be released. All releases from 1.4.1 onward are affected, and users should migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx.
This issue affects earmark from 1.4.1 onward.
- Record
EUVD-2026-37761- CVSS 4.0
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-52mm-h59v-f3c7
4.8
earmark: Stored XSS via unescaped HTML attribute values
Improper Neutralization of Script in Attributes in a Web Page vulnerability in pragdave earmark allows stored cross-site scripting via unescaped HTML attribute values.
'Elixir.Earmark.Transform':_make_att1/2 in lib/earmark/transform.ex splices attribute values verbatim between two literal " bytes: [" ", name, "="", value, """]. Text nodes are routed through the existing escape function which encodes " as ", but attribute values never visit that path. A markdown link whose URL or title contains a bare " closes the attribute early and lets the trailing bytes be parsed by the browser as fresh HTML attributes. For example, [click](http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)) renders as <a href="http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)">click</a>, executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser.
The earmark library is no longer maintained and has been retired on Hex. No patched version will be released. All releases from 1.4.1 onward are affected, and users should migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx.
This issue affects earmark from 1.4.1 onward.
- Record
GHSA-52mm-h59v-f3c7- CVSS 4.0
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-79, CWE-83
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.8
Improper Neutralization of Script in Attributes in a Web Page vulnerability in pragdave earmark allows stored cross-site scripting via unescaped HTML attribute values.
'Elixir.Earmark.Transform':_make_att1/2 in lib/earmark/transform.ex splices attribute values verbatim between two literal " bytes: [" ", name, "="", value, """]. Text nodes are routed through the existing escape function which encodes " as ", but attribute values never visit that path. A markdown link whose URL or title contains a bare " closes the attribute early and lets the trailing bytes be parsed by the browser as fresh HTML attributes. For example, [click](http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)) renders as <a href="http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)">click</a>, executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser.
The earmark library is no longer maintained and has been retired on Hex. No patched version will be released. All releases from 1.4.1 onward are affected, and users should migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx.
This issue affects earmark from 1.4.1 onward.
- Record
CVE-2026-48591- CVSS 4.0
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - Weakness
- CWE-83
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVEEF-CVE-2026-48591
4.8
Stored XSS via unescaped HTML attribute values in earmark
Summary
Improper Neutralization of Script in Attributes in a Web Page vulnerability in pragdave earmark allows stored cross-site scripting via unescaped HTML attribute values.
'Elixir.Earmark.Transform':_make_att1/2 in lib/earmark/transform.ex splices attribute values verbatim between two literal " bytes: [" ", name, "=\"", value, "\""]. Text nodes are routed through the existing escape function which encodes " as ", but attribute values never visit that path. A markdown link whose URL or title contains a bare " closes the attribute early and lets the trailing bytes be parsed by the browser as fresh HTML attributes. For example, [click](http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)) renders as <a href="http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)">click</a>, executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser.
The earmark library is no longer maintained and has been retired on Hex. No patched version will be released. All releases from 1.4.1 onward are affected, and users should migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx.
This issue affects earmark from 1.4.1 onward.
Workarounds
Migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx (https://hex.pm/packages/mdex). The earmark package has been retired on Hex and no patched release will be made.
- Record
EEF-CVE-2026-48591- CVSS 4.0
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-83
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-52mm-h59v-f3c7
4.8
earmark: Stored XSS via unescaped HTML attribute values
Improper Neutralization of Script in Attributes in a Web Page vulnerability in pragdave earmark allows stored cross-site scripting via unescaped HTML attribute values.
'Elixir.Earmark.Transform':_make_att1/2 in lib/earmark/transform.ex splices attribute values verbatim between two literal " bytes: [" ", name, "="", value, """]. Text nodes are routed through the existing escape function which encodes " as ", but attribute values never visit that path. A markdown link whose URL or title contains a bare " closes the attribute early and lets the trailing bytes be parsed by the browser as fresh HTML attributes. For example, [click](http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)) renders as <a href="http://example.com/?a=x" onerror="alert(1)">click</a>, executing arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser.
The earmark library is no longer maintained and has been retired on Hex. No patched version will be released. All releases from 1.4.1 onward are affected, and users should migrate to a maintained Markdown library such as MDEx.
This issue affects earmark from 1.4.1 onward.
- Record
GHSA-52mm-h59v-f3c7- CVSS 4.0
- 4.8 Medium
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-79, CWE-83
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
earmarkHex |
1.4.1 to 1.5.0-pre1 | None known |
earmarkHex |
1.4.1 and later, plus listed versions 1.4.101.4.121.4.131.4.141.4.15 Show 45 moreShow less1.4.161.4.16-pre1.4.16-pre11.4.16-pre21.4.171.4.181.4.191.4.21.4.201.4.211.4.221.4.231.4.241.4.251.4.261.4.271.4.281.4.291.4.31.4.301.4.311.4.321.4.331.4.341.4.351.4.361.4.371.4.381.4.391.4.41.4.401.4.411.4.421.4.431.4.441.4.451.4.461.4.471.4.481.4.491.4.51.4.61.4.71.4.81.4.9 |
None known |
earmarkHex |
1.4.1 to 1.5.0-pre1, plus listed versions 1.4.101.4.121.4.131.4.141.4.15 Show 45 moreShow less1.4.161.4.16-pre1.4.16-pre11.4.16-pre21.4.171.4.181.4.191.4.21.4.201.4.211.4.221.4.231.4.241.4.251.4.261.4.271.4.281.4.291.4.31.4.301.4.311.4.321.4.331.4.341.4.351.4.361.4.371.4.381.4.391.4.41.4.401.4.411.4.421.4.431.4.441.4.451.4.461.4.471.4.481.4.491.4.51.4.61.4.71.4.81.4.9 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-48591 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.8) in Pragdave Earmark, published June 17, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.13%, the 2nd percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
Left out here: 3 versions. The JSON record has them.