Summary
Stored Cross-site Scripting (XSS) in excalidraw's web embed component
A stored XSS vulnerability in Excalidraw's web embeddable component. This allows arbitrary JavaScript to be run in the context of the domain where the editor is hosted.
Poc
Inserting an embed with the below url (can be copy/pasted onto canvas to insert as embed) will log 42 to the console:
https://gist.github.com/vv=v<script>console.log(42)</script>
Details
There were two vectors. One rendering untrusted string as iframe's srcdoc without properly sanitizing against HTML injection. Second by improperly sanitizing against attribute HTML injection. This in conjunction with allowing allow-same-origin sandbox flag (necessary for several embeds) resulted in the XSS.
Former was fixed by no longer rendering unsafe srcdoc content verbatim, and instead strictly parsing the supplied content and constructing the srcdoc manually. The latter by sanitizing properly.
The allow-same-origin flag is now also set only in cases that require it, following the principle of least privilege.
Impact
This is a cross site scripting vulnerability, for more information, please see: https://portswigger.net/web-security/cross-site-scripting
Two npm @excalidraw/excalidraw stable version releases were affected (0.16.x, 0.17.x), and both are now patched.
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-2024-32472 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 (0.16.4, 0.17.6); 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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@excalidraw/excalidraw to 0.16.4 or later; @excalidraw/excalidraw to 0.17.6 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-32472? CVE-2024-32472 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in @excalidraw/excalidraw (npm), affecting versions >= 0.16.0, < 0.16.4. It is fixed in 0.16.4, 0.17.6. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- How severe is CVE-2024-32472? CVE-2024-32472 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.
- Which versions of @excalidraw/excalidraw are affected by CVE-2024-32472? @excalidraw/excalidraw (npm) versions >= 0.16.0, < 0.16.4 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-32472? Yes. CVE-2024-32472 is fixed in 0.16.4, 0.17.6. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-32472 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-32472 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-2024-32472 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-2024-32472?
- Upgrade
@excalidraw/excalidrawto 0.16.4 or later - Upgrade
@excalidraw/excalidrawto 0.17.6 or later
- Upgrade