Summary
Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability in CodeIgniter4
Workarounds
Do one of the following:
- Do not use
API\ResponseTraitnorResourceController - Disable Auto Route and Use Defined Routes Only
References
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in codeigniter4/CodeIgniter4
- Email us at SECURITY.md
Impact
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability was found in API\ResponseTrait in Codeigniter4.
Attackers can do XSS attacks if you are using API\ResponseTrait.
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-2022-21715 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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 (4.1.8); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Upgrade to v4.1.8 or later.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-21715? CVE-2022-21715 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in codeigniter4/framework (composer), affecting versions < 4.1.8. It is fixed in 4.1.8. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- How severe is CVE-2022-21715? CVE-2022-21715 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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.
- Which versions of codeigniter4/framework are affected by CVE-2022-21715? codeigniter4/framework (composer) versions < 4.1.8 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-21715? Yes. CVE-2022-21715 is fixed in 4.1.8. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-21715 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-21715 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-2022-21715 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-2022-21715? Upgrade
codeigniter4/frameworkto 4.1.8 or later.