# CVE-2022-40487: ProcessWire vulnerable to Cross-site Scripting

> Attackers can execute arbitrary scripts via XSS in ProcessWire's search functions, potentially compromising user sessions or data.

- **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:** 31 Oct 2022
- **Updated:** 9 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8g35-prrr-gxxf

## What is CVE-2022-40487?

CVE-2022-40487 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 31 Oct 2022. 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

ProcessWire v3.0.200 was discovered to contain multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities via the Search Users and Search Pages function. These vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML via injection of a crafted payload.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-40487?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including processwire/processwire. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `processwire/processwire` | Packagist | All versions to 3.0.200 | None |
| `processwire/processwire` | Packagist | All versions to 3.0.200 | None |

Products: Processwire Processwire.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-40487?

No fix has been published for CVE-2022-40487 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2022-40487 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-40487 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2020-27467](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27467/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-24676](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-24676/): Arbitrary Code Execution in Processwire (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2025-60790](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-60790/): ProcessWire CMS vulnerable to resource-exhaustion Denial of Service (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2022-40488](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40488/): ProcessWire vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-41597](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41597/): ProcessWire Cross Site Request Forgery vulnerability (medium 4.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-40487 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-40487 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in n/a, published on 31 Oct 2022. 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-2022-40487 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- processwire/processwire (Packagist): affected all versions up to 3.0.200; no fix listed
- processwire/processwire (Packagist): affected all versions up to 3.0.200; 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-2022-40487/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40487/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-40487
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-40487
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-40487

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40487/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.