SupersetApplication · Apache
CVE-2021-27907
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedApache Superset up to and including 0.38.0 allowed the creation of a Markdown component on a Dashboard page for describing chart's related information. Abusing this functionality, a malicious user could inject javascript code executing unwanted action in the context of the user's browser. The javascript code will be automatically executed (Stored XSS) when a legitimate user surfs on the dashboard page. The vulnerability is exploitable creating a “div” section and embedding in it a “svg” element with javascript code.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceApache Superset versions up to 0.38.0 contains a stored XSS vulnerability in the Markdown dashboard component. Attackers can inject malicious JavaScript by creating a div section with an embedded svg element containing script code. This script executes automatically in the browsers of any user viewing the affected dashboard.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
SupersetApplication
<= 0.38.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Apache Superset versionRun the command 'superset version' or check the package.json/package-lock.json file in your Superset installation directory. Alternatively, check the about page in the Superset UI at /superset/welcome/Affected if The installed version is 0.38.0 or any earlier version (e.g., 0.37.x, 0.36.x, etc.)
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Locate dashboards using Markdown componentsQuery the database backing Superset (usually PostgreSQL or MySQL) for dashboards containing Markdown. Look in tables like 'dashboards' and check for slices/components of type 'markdown'. Example SQL: SELECT id, dashboard_title FROM dashboards WHERE json_metadata LIKE '%markdown%'Affected if You have dashboards that contain Markdown components and your Superset version is 0.38.0 or earlier
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Inspect Markdown content for malicious payloadsExamine the raw content of Markdown components in your dashboards. Specifically look for <div> elements containing <svg> elements with embedded <script> tags, or any base64-encoded variants. Check the slices table for the 'params' or 'viz_config' column containing Markdown text.Affected if Any Markdown component contains a div section with an embedded svg element containing script code, indicating potential exploitation
You are affected if Apache Superset version is 0.38.0 or earlier AND you have dashboards with Markdown components that may contain or be vulnerable to malicious script injection via div/svg elements.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade Apache Superset to version 0.38.1 or later. Until patched, restrict dashboard creation and editing permissions to trusted users only to limit exposure.
Fix this in Superset
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-27907 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-27907 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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