# CVE-2023-43039: IBM OpenPages with Watson cross-site scripting

> Attackers can inject arbitrary JavaScript into the web interface, potentially stealing credentials from trusted sessions in IBM OpenPages with Watson.

- **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:** 8 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rv8h-7r63-mxfr

## What is CVE-2023-43039?

CVE-2023-43039 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in IBM OpenPages with Watson, published on 8 Jul 2025. 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

IBM OpenPages with Watson 9.0 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting. This vulnerability allows users to embed arbitrary JavaScript code in the Web UI thus altering the intended functionality potentially leading to credentials disclosure within a trusted session

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-43039?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Openpages With Watson.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-43039?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-43039 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-43039 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-43039 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM OpenPages with Watson

- [CVE-2023-40683](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40683/): IBM OpenPages with Watson privilege escalation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-29907](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29907/): File upload in OpenPages with Watson (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-49781](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49781/): IBM OpenPages XML external entity injection (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2024-49782](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49782/): IBM OpenPages improper certificate validation (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2023-38738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38738/): IBM OpenPages with Watson information disclosure (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-43039 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-43039 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in IBM OpenPages with Watson, published on 8 Jul 2025. 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-2023-43039 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM OpenPages with Watson. 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-2023-43039/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-43039/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-43039
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-43039
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-43039

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-43039/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.