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Cross-site Scripting (XSS)Weakness · CWE-79

CVE-2026-44696

MEDIUM · 5.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
61/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 8 weeks old

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 · unedited
OpenProject is open-source, web-based project management software. Prior to 17.4.0, OpenProject's rich text (markdown) rendering pipeline uses Sanitize::Config::RELAXED[:css] for inline style sanitization. This configuration permits essentially all CSS properties in style attributes on permitted HTML elements (figure, img, table, th, tr, td). This allows any authenticated user with write access to formattable text fields (work package descriptions, comments, project descriptions, news) to inject CSS This vulnerability is fixed in 17.4.0.

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 confidence

OpenProject's rich text rendering uses Sanitize::Config::RELAXED[:css] which permits nearly all CSS properties in style attributes on figure, img, table, th, tr, and td elements. This allows authenticated users with write access to formattable fields (work package descriptions, comments, project descriptions, news) to inject arbitrary CSS, potentially enabling style-based information disclosure or CSS injection attacks.

MitigationUpgrade to OpenProject 17.4.0 or later which contains the fixed sanitization configuration. If immediate upgrade is not possible, review and restrict the CSS sanitization config to disallow dangerous properties.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS 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
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify OpenProject version
    Check the installed OpenProject version by running `openproject --version` or checking the package manager (e.g., `apt list --installed | grep openproject` for Debian/Ubuntu, `rpm -q openproject` for RHEL/CentOS). Alternatively, access the Administration > About page in the web UI.
    Affected if The installed version is below 17.4.0 (e.g., 17.3.x, 17.2.x, earlier versions). Versions prior to 17.4.0 are affected by the overly permissive CSS sanitization.
  2. Verify access to formattable fields
    Determine if any user role grants the ability to create or edit content in formattable fields: work package descriptions, work package comments, project descriptions, or news posts. Check OpenProject roles and permissions under Administration > Roles and Permissions.
    Affected if Users have write access to any formattable field (e.g., 'Edit work packages', 'Manage news', 'Edit project description' permissions are enabled for non-admin roles).
  3. Inspect Sanitize CSS configuration
    Locate the Ruby application code or configuration files that define `Sanitize::Config::RELAXED`. In the OpenProject source, examine the configuration file that sets up the rich text sanitizer, typically found in the config directory or as part of the gems/configuration. Look for the CSS property whitelist.
    Affected if The configuration uses `Sanitize::Config::RELAXED[:css]` or an equivalent relaxed CSS sanitization that permits dangerous CSS properties (such as background, content, attr, or positioning properties) on figure, img, table, th, tr, or td elements.
  4. Review custom CSS sanitization rules
    If OpenProject has been customized or uses plugins, examine any custom Sanitize configuration that may override the default settings. Check the config/application.rb, initializer files, or plugin configurations for custom Sanitize rules.
    Affected if Custom or overridden sanitization rules exist that relax CSS restrictions beyond the default OpenProject configuration.

You are affected if your OpenProject version is below 17.4.0 AND authenticated users have write access to formattable fields with the default relaxed CSS sanitization configuration still in place.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to OpenProject 17.4.0 or later which contains the fixed sanitization configuration. If immediate upgrade is not possible, review and restrict the CSS sanitization config to disallow dangerous properties.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

OpenProject 17.4.0

  1. 1. Back up your current OpenProject installation and database before upgrading.
  2. 2. Identify your current OpenProject version using the admin interface or command line.
  3. 3. Review the official OpenProject upgrade documentation for your deployment method (package, Docker, etc.).
  4. 4. Upgrade to version 17.4.0 or later following the standard upgrade procedure for your installation type.
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify that the rich text editor properly sanitizes CSS in style attributes by testing with a sample formattable text field.
  6. 6. Confirm the upgrade was successful and the vulnerability is resolved.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-44696 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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