# CVE-2021-27788: HCL Verse is susceptible to a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability

> Remote attackers can execute scripts in victims' browsers via crafted URLs, potentially stealing cookies or performing actions as the victim.

- **Severity:** High 8.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L`)
- **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:** 10 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 27 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j5qm-g7fg-7pg9

## What is CVE-2021-27788?

CVE-2021-27788 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in HCL Software Verse, published on 10 Mar 2023. 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

HCL Verse is susceptible to a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability.  By tricking a user into clicking a crafted URL, a remote unauthenticated attacker could execute script in a victim's web browser to perform operations as the victim and/or steal the victim's cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-27788?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Hcltech Verse.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-27788?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-27788 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-27788 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-27788 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in HCL Software Verse

- [CVE-2023-37496](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37496/): HCL Verse is susceptible to a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability (high 8.3)
- [CVE-2023-28013](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28013/): HCL Verse is susceptible to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-27768](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27768/): An SSL certificate host verification vulnerability affects HCL Verse for Android (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2020-4099](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4099/): HCL Verse for Android is susceptible to an APK signing key check vulnerability (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-27788 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-27788 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in HCL Software Verse, published on 10 Mar 2023. 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-2021-27788 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: HCL Software Verse. 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-2021-27788/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27788/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-27788
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-27788
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-27788

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27788/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.