# CVE-2019-16728: Cross-Site Scripting in dompurify

> An attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript via mutation XSS in DOMPurify when sanitizing SVG or MATH elements.

- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Sep 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-chqj-j4fh-rw7m, UBUNTU-CVE-2019-16728

## What is CVE-2019-16728?

CVE-2019-16728 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 24 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

DOMPurify before 2.0.1 allows XSS because of innerHTML mutation XSS (mXSS) for an SVG element or a MATH element, as demonstrated by Chrome and Safari.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-16728?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including dompurify. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `dompurify` | npm | All versions | 2.0.3 |
| `dompurify` | npm | All versions | 2.0.3 |

Products: Cure53 Dompurify, Debian Debian Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-16728?

Upgrade dompurify to 2.0.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2019-16728 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-16728 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2024-47875](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-47875/): DOMPurify nesting-based mXSS (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-48910](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48910/): DOMPurify vulnerable to tampering by prototype polution (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2026-47423](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-47423/): DOMPurify XSS via `selectedcontent` re-clone (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2024-45801](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45801/): Tampering by prototype polution in DOMPurify (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2026-49978](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49978/): DOMPurify IN_PLACE Sanitization Bypass via Attached Shadow Root Inside <template>.content (medium 6.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-16728 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-16728 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 24 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-2019-16728 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- dompurify (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2.0.3
- dompurify (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2.0.3

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-2019-16728/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16728/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-16728
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-16728
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-16728

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16728/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.