CVE-2020-11023

Workarounds

To workaround this issue without upgrading, use DOMPurify with its SAFE_FOR_JQUERY option to sanitize the HTML string before passing it to a jQuery method.

References

https://blog.jquery.com/2020/04/10/jquery-3-5-0-released/

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, search for a relevant issue in the jQuery repo. If you don't find an answer, open a new issue.

Passing HTML containing <option> elements from untrusted sources - even after sanitizing them - to one of jQuery's DOM manipulation methods (i.e. .html(), .append(), and others) may execute untrusted code.

Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.

CVE-2020-11023 has a CVSS score of 6.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.5.0, 4.4.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

This problem is patched in jQuery 3.5.0.

1. What is CVE-2020-11023? CVE-2020-11023 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in jquery (npm), affecting versions >= 1.0.3, < 3.5.0. It is fixed in 3.5.0, 4.4.0. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-11023? CVE-2020-11023 has a CVSS score of 6.9 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2020-11023?
   • jquery (npm) (versions >= 1.0.3, < 3.5.0)
   • jquery-rails (rubygems) (versions < 4.4.0)
   • jQuery (nuget) (versions >= 1.0.3, < 3.5.0)
   • org.webjars.npm:jquery (maven) (versions >= 1.0.3, < 3.5.0)
   • components/jquery (composer) (versions >= 1.0.3, < 3.5.0)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-11023? Yes. CVE-2020-11023 is fixed in 3.5.0, 4.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-11023 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-11023 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2020-11023 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2020-11023?
   • Upgrade jquery to 3.5.0 or later
   • Upgrade jquery-rails to 4.4.0 or later
   • Upgrade jQuery to 3.5.0 or later
   • Upgrade org.webjars.npm:jquery to 3.5.0 or later
   • Upgrade components/jquery to 3.5.0 or later

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