# CVE-2023-41889: Late-Unicode normalization vulnerability in SHIRASAGI

> Attackers can bypass security checks in SHIRASAGI CMS by exploiting late Unicode normalization, allowing malicious inputs to pass validation.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xr45-c2jv-2v9r

## What is CVE-2023-41889?

CVE-2023-41889 is a medium-severity vulnerability in shirasagi, published on 15 Sep 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SHIRASAGI is a Content Management System. Prior to version 1.18.0, SHIRASAGI is vulnerable to a Post-Unicode normalization issue. This happens when a logical validation or a security check is performed before a Unicode normalization. The Unicode character equivalent of a character would resurface after the normalization. The fix is initially performing the Unicode normalization and then strip for all whitespaces and then checking for a blank string. This issue has been fixed in version 1.18.0.

Weakness: CWE-116 (Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output), CWE-176 (Improper Handling of Unicode Encoding)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-41889?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ss-Proj Shirasagi.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-41889?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-41889 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-41889 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-41889 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in shirasagi

- [CVE-2023-39448](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-39448/): Path traversal in SHIRASAGI (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-46898](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46898/): Path traversal in SHIRASAGI (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2023-36492](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36492/): Cross-site scripting in SHIRASAGI (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2022-43479](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43479/): Open redirect in SHIRASAGI (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2022-29485](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-29485/): Cross-site scripting in SHIRASAGI (medium 6.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-41889 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-41889 is a medium-severity vulnerability in shirasagi, published on 15 Sep 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-41889 exists.

Affected product: shirasagi. 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-2023-41889/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41889/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-41889
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-41889
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-41889

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41889/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.