# CVE-2023-3971: Controller: html injection in custom login info

> Attackers can inject HTML into custom login pages to capture user credentials, leading to account compromise in Ansible Automation Platform.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 20 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p5xq-xr8f-3wj4, RHSA-2023:4340, RHSA-2023:4590

## What is CVE-2023-3971?

CVE-2023-3971 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.3 for RHEL 8, published on 4 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An HTML injection flaw was found in Controller in the user interface settings. This flaw allows an attacker to capture credentials by creating a custom login page by injecting HTML, resulting in a complete compromise.

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-2023-3971?

It affects 4 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `automation-controller` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el8 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-cli` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el8 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-server` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el8 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-ui` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el8 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-venv-tower` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el8 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el9 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-cli` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el9 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-server` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el9 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-ui` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el9 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-venv-tower` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.3::el9 | All versions | 0:4.3.11-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el8 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-cli` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el8 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-server` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el8 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-ui` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el8 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller-venv-tower` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el8 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el8ap |
| `automation-controller` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el9 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-cli` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el9 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-server` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el9 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-ui` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el9 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el9ap |
| `automation-controller-venv-tower` | Red Hat:ansible_automation_platform:2.4::el9 | All versions | 0:4.4.1-1.el9ap |

Products: Redhat Ansible Automation Controller, Redhat Ansible Automation Platform, Redhat Ansible Developer, Redhat Ansible Inside.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-3971?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-3971 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3971 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- To find HTML injection and XSS  (github_poc): https://github.com/ashangp923/CVE-2023-3971

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-3971 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-3971 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.3 for RHEL 8, published on 4 Oct 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3971 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.3 for RHEL 8. 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-2023-3971/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3971/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3971
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3971
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-3971

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3971/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.