CVE-2023-3978
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in net (Go)

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) No known exploit

What is CVE-2023-3978 About?

This vulnerability concerns an incorrect literal rendering of text nodes not in the HTML namespace, leading to unescaped text that can enable a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack. This flaw is critical as it can allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. Exploitation would involve injecting specially crafted input that is not properly sanitized, leading to remote code execution in the user's browser.

Affected Software

golang.org/x/net <0.13.0

Technical Details

The vulnerability arises when text nodes that do not belong to the HTML namespace are processed and rendered incorrectly. Instead of being properly escaped, these text nodes are rendered literally. This misinterpretation allows an attacker to inject script tags or other HTML entities that contain malicious JavaScript code directly into the rendered output. When a user's browser processes this unescaped content, it executes the injected script, leading to an XSS attack. The core mechanism is a failure in the rendering engine to differentiate between safe and unsafe text within non-HTML namespace contexts and apply appropriate escaping.

What is the Impact of CVE-2023-3978?

Successful exploitation may allow attackers to inject arbitrary client-side scripts, leading to session hijacking, defacement, sensitive data theft, or execution of malicious actions in the context of the user's browser.

What is the Exploitability of CVE-2023-3978?

Exploitation of this XSS vulnerability is typically of low to medium complexity, requiring the attacker to identify an input field or mechanism where text nodes can be injected without proper escaping in a non-HTML namespace context. There are generally no authentication or privilege requirements beyond the ability to submit data that is subsequently rendered. This is a remote vulnerability, as the attacker can inject the malicious payload from a remote location. The primary prerequisite is for the application to display user-supplied input without adequate sanitization, specifically in rendering non-HTML namespace text nodes. Risk factors include web applications that allow user-generated content or input without robust output encoding, especially when handling XML or other non-HTML content types. Special conditions involve the specific rendering behavior of text nodes outside the HTML namespace.

What are the Known Public Exploits?

PoC Author Link Commentary
No known exploits

What are the Available Fixes for CVE-2023-3978?

Available Upgrade Options

  • golang.org/x/net
    • <0.13.0 → Upgrade to 0.13.0

Struggling with dependency upgrades?

See how Resolved Security's drop-in replacements make it simple.

Book a demo

Additional Resources

What are Similar Vulnerabilities to CVE-2023-3978?

Similar Vulnerabilities: CVE-2023-34062 , CVE-2023-34063 , CVE-2023-34064 , CVE-2023-34065 , CVE-2023-34066