CVE-2023-49779
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 · uneditedStored cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in the anchor tag of GROWI versions prior to v6.0.0. If this vulnerability is exploited, an arbitrary script may be executed on the web browser of the user who accessed the site using the product.
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 confidenceStored cross-site scripting vulnerability in GROWI versions before v6.0.0 allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript into anchor tags. The payload is persisted on the server and executed when users view the affected content, enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or defacement.
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< 6.0.0CVSS 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 installed GROWI versionLocate the GROWI installation directory and check the version from package.json, or run the command 'npm list growi' if npm is available. Alternatively, check the admin dashboard for version information if accessible.Affected if The installed version is any release before v6.0.0 (e.g., v5.x.x, v4.x.x)
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Confirm GROWI is in active useVerify that the GROWI application is running and accepting user content submissions. Check if users can create or edit pages, comments, or other content that supports anchor tags.Affected if The application is live and allows users to input or edit content containing HTML anchor tags (<a> tags)
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Inspect stored content for suspicious anchor tagsQuery the database or access the content management interface to examine pages, posts, or user-generated content for anchor tags with unusual attributes. Look for <a> tags containing javascript:, data:, or event handler attributes (onclick, onload, etc.).Affected if Any persisted anchor tags in the system contain malicious JavaScript payloads or unexpected event handlers
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Review recent content for new anchor tag entriesCheck the creation and modification timestamps of pages containing anchor tags. Look for entries created after the vulnerability disclosure date that contain unexpected href values.Affected if Newly created or modified content contains anchor tags with potentially malicious href attributes
You are affected if your GROWI version is below v6.0.0 AND the application stores user-generated content with anchor tags, as the malicious script would be persisted server-side and execute when users view the infected content.
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.
dbcve · scoped6.0.0
Upgrade GROWI to v6.0.0 or later to remediate the vulnerability. Review and sanitize existing anchor tag content in the system for any persisted malicious scripts.
6.0.0
- 1. Back up your current Growi installation and database before upgrading.
- 2. Download GROWI v6.0.0 from the official repository or release page.
- 3. Follow the standard upgrade procedure for GROWI (stop the service, replace files, run migration if needed, restart the service).
- 4. Verify the upgrade was successful and test that the anchor tag functionality works correctly.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-49779 — 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-2023-49779 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data