CVE-2022-31175

Affected packages

@ckeditor/ckeditor5-markdown-gfm
@ckeditor/ckeditor5-html-support
@ckeditor/ckeditor5-html-embed

For more information

Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments about this advisory.

A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting three optional CKEditor 5's packages. The vulnerability allowed to trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions:

a) Using one of the affected packages. In case of ckeditor5-html-support and ckeditor5-html-embed, additionally, it was required to use a configuration that allows unsafe markup inside the editor,
b) Initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than <textarea> as a base,
c) Destroying the editor instance.

The root cause of the issue was a mechanism responsible for updating the source element with the markup coming from the CKEditor 5 data pipeline after destroying the editor.

This vulnerability might affect a small percent of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy and use Markdown, General HTML Support or HTML embed features.

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-2022-31175 has a CVSS score of 5.8 (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 (35.0.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

The problem has been recognized and patched. The fix will be available in version 35.0.1.

1. What is CVE-2022-31175? CVE-2022-31175 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in @ckeditor/ckeditor5-markdown-gfm (npm), affecting versions < 35.0.1. It is fixed in 35.0.1. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-31175? CVE-2022-31175 has a CVSS score of 5.8 (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-2022-31175?
   • @ckeditor/ckeditor5-markdown-gfm (npm) (versions < 35.0.1)
   • @ckeditor/ckeditor5-html-support (npm) (versions < 35.0.1)
   • @ckeditor/ckeditor5-html-embed (npm) (versions < 35.0.1)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-31175? Yes. CVE-2022-31175 is fixed in 35.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-31175 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-31175 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-2022-31175 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-2022-31175?
   • Upgrade @ckeditor/ckeditor5-markdown-gfm to 35.0.1 or later
   • Upgrade @ckeditor/ckeditor5-html-support to 35.0.1 or later
   • Upgrade @ckeditor/ckeditor5-html-embed to 35.0.1 or later