Summary
Reflected XSS from the callback handler's error query parameter
Overview
Versions before and including 1.4.1 are vulnerable to reflected XSS. An attacker can execute arbitrary code by providing an XSS payload in the error query parameter which is then processed by the callback handler as an error message.
Am I affected?
You are affected by this vulnerability if you are using @auth0/nextjs-auth0 version 1.4.1 or lower unless you are using custom error handling that does not return the error message in an HTML response.
How to fix that?
Upgrade to version 1.4.2.
Will this update impact my users?
The fix adds basic HTML escaping to the error message and it should not impact your users.
Credit
Impact
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-2021-32702 has a CVSS score of 8.0 (High). 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 (1.4.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2021-32702? CVE-2021-32702 is a high-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in @auth0/nextjs-auth0 (npm), affecting versions < 1.4.2. It is fixed in 1.4.2. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- How severe is CVE-2021-32702? CVE-2021-32702 has a CVSS score of 8.0 (High). 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.
- Which versions of @auth0/nextjs-auth0 are affected by CVE-2021-32702? @auth0/nextjs-auth0 (npm) versions < 1.4.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2021-32702? Yes. CVE-2021-32702 is fixed in 1.4.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2021-32702 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-32702 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2021-32702 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2021-32702? Upgrade
@auth0/nextjs-auth0to 1.4.2 or later.