CVE-2020-7656

Versions of jquery prior to 1.9.0 are vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting. The load method fails to recognize and remove <script> HTML tags that contain a whitespace character, i.e: </script >, which results in the enclosed script logic to be executed. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in a victim's browser.

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-2020-7656 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (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 (2.2.0, 1.9.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Upgrade to version 1.9.0 or later.

1. What is CVE-2020-7656? CVE-2020-7656 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in jquery-rails (rubygems), affecting versions < 2.2.0. It is fixed in 2.2.0, 1.9.0. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-7656? CVE-2020-7656 has a CVSS score of 6.1 (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-2020-7656?
   • jquery-rails (rubygems) (versions < 2.2.0)
   • jquery (npm) (versions >= 1.2.1, < 1.9.0)
   • jQuery (nuget) (versions >= 1.2.1, < 1.9.0)
   • org.webjars.npm:jquery (maven) (versions >= 1.2.1, < 1.9.0)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-7656? Yes. CVE-2020-7656 is fixed in 2.2.0, 1.9.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-7656 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-7656 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-2020-7656 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-2020-7656?
   • Upgrade jquery-rails to 2.2.0 or later
   • Upgrade jquery to 1.9.0 or later
   • Upgrade jQuery to 1.9.0 or later
   • Upgrade org.webjars.npm:jquery to 1.9.0 or later

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