Summary
ApostropheCMS: Incomplete CVE-2026-53606: meta http-equiv=refresh content still ships javascript: / data: URLs
CVE-2026-53606 expanded allowedSchemesAppliedToAttributes so named URL attributes (action, formaction, data, poster, background, later ping, xlink:href, …) go through naughtyHref(). A URL nested inside meta content (http-equiv=refresh) is not an attribute name on that list, so the embedded destination is never scheme-checked.
Default allowedTags still omit meta. Same non-default integrator config as 53606: allow meta plus http-equiv / content.
On 2.17.7:
sanitizeHtml(
'<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=javascript:alert(1)">',
{ allowedTags: ['meta'], allowedAttributes: { meta: ['http-equiv', 'content'] } }
)
// => <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=javascript:alert(1)" />
data:text/html,… and arbitrary https: destinations also survive. formaction="javascript:…" (53606) is stripped.
Please Request CVE. Credit: Finder + Reporter (adrbogacz).
Details
naughtyHref() only runs when the attribute name is in allowedSchemesAppliedToAttributes (index.js ~385). Refresh URLs live in a content value of the form 0;url=…, so the gate never fires. Adding content to that list wholesale would break ordinary meta content (description, viewport).
Fix: when http-equiv is refresh (case-insensitive), parse the ; url= destination and run naughtyHref('meta', url). Drop content (or the tag) if the URL is rejected. Leave other meta content values alone.
PoC
Local [email protected]. Output inspection only:
node -e '
const sanitize = require("sanitize-html");
const opts = { allowedTags: ["meta"], allowedAttributes: { meta: ["http-equiv", "content"] } };
for (const html of [
"<meta http-equiv=\"refresh\" content=\"0;url=javascript:alert(1)\">",
"<meta http-equiv=\"refresh\" content=\"0;url=data:text/html,aaa\">",
"<form><button formaction=\"javascript:alert(1)\">x</button></form>",
]) {
console.log(html, "=>", sanitize(html, html.includes("meta") ? opts : { allowedTags: ["form","button"], allowedAttributes: { button: ["formaction"] } }));
}
'
Expected: refresh javascript: / data: remain; 53606 formaction is removed. Do not attach a browser hang or stored-XSS page.
Impact
An integrator who allowed meta + content expecting allowedSchemes to apply (the 53606 configuration pattern) still emits a refresh to javascript:, data:, or an attacker https: URL. Stored XSS / open redirect for viewers of that HTML. Default config is not affected.
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-2026-113661 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (2.18.0); 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-2026-113661? CVE-2026-113661 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in sanitize-html (npm), affecting versions < 2.18.0. It is fixed in 2.18.0. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- How severe is CVE-2026-113661? CVE-2026-113661 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 sanitize-html are affected by CVE-2026-113661? sanitize-html (npm) versions < 2.18.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-113661? Yes. CVE-2026-113661 is fixed in 2.18.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-113661 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-113661 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-2026-113661 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-2026-113661? Upgrade
sanitize-htmlto 2.18.0 or later.