# CVE-2023-5891: Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Reflected in pkp/pkp-lib

> Reflected Cross-Site Scripting in pkp-lib allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in victim browsers.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 27 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rhhg-49v7-xmqc

## What is CVE-2023-5891?

CVE-2023-5891 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in pkp/pkp-lib, published on 1 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Reflected in GitHub repository pkp/pkp-lib prior to 3.3.0-16.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5891?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sfu Pkp Web Application Library.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5891?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-5891 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-5891 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-5891 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in pkp/pkp-lib

- [CVE-2023-5892](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5892/): Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Stored in pkp/pkp-lib (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2023-47271](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47271/): File upload in n/a (medium 5.3)
- [CVE-2023-5890](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5890/): Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Stored in pkp/pkp-lib (medium 4.6)
- [CVE-2023-5902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5902/): Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in pkp/pkp-lib (medium 4.3)
- [CVE-2023-5893](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5893/): Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in pkp/pkp-lib (low 3.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-5891 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5891 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in pkp/pkp-lib, published on 1 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-5891 exists.

Affected product: pkp/pkp-lib. 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-2023-5891/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5891/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5891
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5891
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5891

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5891/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.