# CVE-2020-35659: Cross-site scripting in n/a

> Stored XSS in Pi-hole allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the admin interface via malicious DNS queries.

- **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:** 24 Dec 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3mr8-6hjm-446f

## What is CVE-2020-35659?

CVE-2020-35659 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Dec 2020. 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

The DNS query log in Pi-hole before 5.2.2 is vulnerable to stored XSS. An attacker with the ability to directly or indirectly query DNS with a malicious hostname can cause arbitrary JavaScript to execute when the Pi-hole administrator visits the Query Log or Long-term data Query Log page.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-35659?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Pi-Hole Pi-Hole.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-35659?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-35659 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-35659 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-35659 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2020-8816](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8816/): Pi-Hole AdminLTE Remote Code Execution (critical 9.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-34087](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-34087/): Pi-Hole AdminLTE Whitelist (now 'Web Allowlist') Remote Command Execution (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2026-50130](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-50130/): Pi-hole: Local privilege escalation from `pihole` user to root via `/etc/pihole/logrotate` (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-11108](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11108/): File upload in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-13051](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-13051/): Pi-Hole 4.3 allows Command Injection. (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-35659 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-35659 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Dec 2020. 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-2020-35659 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2020-35659/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35659/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-35659
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-35659
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-35659

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35659/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.