# CVE-2020-13563: Cross-site scripting in phpGACL

> An attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of a victim's browser via a crafted URL in the phpGACL template functionality.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.6 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 1 Feb 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rvw7-mwvr-mmjr

## What is CVE-2020-13563?

CVE-2020-13563 is a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability in Open-Emr Openemr, published on 1 Feb 2021. 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

A cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in the template functionality of phpGACL 3.3.7. A specially crafted HTTP request can lead to arbitrary JavaScript execution. An attacker can provide a crafted URL to trigger this vulnerability in the phpGACL template group_id parameter.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), CWE-80 (Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-13563?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Open-Emr Openemr, Phpgacl Project Phpgacl.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-13563?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-13563 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-13563 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-13563 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Open-Emr Openemr

- [CVE-2026-24898](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24898/): OpenEMR has an Unauthenticated MedEx Token Disclosure (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-24849](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24849/): OpenEMR Arbitrary File Read Vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-24908](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24908/): OpenEMR has SQL Injection in Patient API Sort Parameter (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2022-2734](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2734/): Improper Restriction of Rendered UI Layers or Frames in openemr/openemr (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-22611](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-22611/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-13563 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-13563 is a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability in Open-Emr Openemr, published on 1 Feb 2021. 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-2020-13563 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Open-Emr Openemr. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2020-13563/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13563/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-13563
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-13563
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-13563

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13563/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.