# CVE-2019-16148: Cross-site scripting in Sakai

> Cross-site scripting vulnerability in Sakai allows attackers to inject malicious scripts via chat user names, potentially compromising user sessions.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Sep 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q8wc-9xvp-g3c3

## What is CVE-2019-16148?

CVE-2019-16148 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 9 Sep 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Sakai through 12.6 allows XSS via a chat user name.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-16148?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.sakaiproject:chat-base. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.sakaiproject:chat-base` | Maven | All versions to 12.6 | None |
| `org.sakaiproject:chat-base` | Maven | All versions to 12.6 | None |

Products: Sakailms Sakai.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-16148?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-16148 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-16148 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-16148 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2024-47876](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-47876/): Sakai: Kernel users created with type roleview can login as a normal user (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2025-62710](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-62710/): Sakai kernel-impl: predictable PRNG used to generate server‑side encryption key in EncryptionUtilityServiceImpl (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2026-33402](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33402/): SAK-52311: Sakai site-manage group titles can contain XSS content (low 1.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-16148 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-16148 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 9 Sep 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-16148 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.sakaiproject:chat-base (Maven): affected all versions up to 12.6; no fix listed
- org.sakaiproject:chat-base (Maven): affected all versions up to 12.6; no fix listed

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16148/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16148/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-16148
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-16148
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-16148

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16148/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.