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Latest News on CISA and jQuery XSS Vulnerability (CVE-2020-11023)
As of January 2025, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added the jQuery Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, identified as CVE-2020-11023, to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Here is a detailed breakdown of the vulnerability, its implications, and the steps to mitigate it.
What is CVE-2020-11023?
CVE-2020-11023 is a medium-severity XSS vulnerability affecting the jQuery JavaScript library. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject and execute malicious scripts within the context of the affected web page. It arises when jQuery improperly mitigates XSS risks when processing untrusted input, particularly when handling HTML containing <option>
elements from untrusted sources, even after sanitization14.
Implications
- Data Theft and Unauthorized Access: Exploiting this vulnerability can lead to data theft, unauthorized access to sensitive systems or data, and execution of arbitrary code24.
- Wide Impact: Given jQuery's widespread use in web applications, content management systems, and intranet setups, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to various types of digital infrastructures, including those running on Windows Server environments14.
CISA's Action and Recommendations
- Inclusion in KEV Catalog: CISA has added CVE-2020-11023 to its KEV catalog due to evidence of active exploitation. This inclusion highlights the importance of prompt mitigation34.
- Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01: Under BOD 22-01, Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies are required to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in the catalog by specified deadlines. For CVE-2020-11023, the remediation deadline is set for February 13, 20254.
Steps to Mitigate the Vulnerability
Assess and Validate
- Identify jQuery Usage: Determine all instances where jQuery might be in use, including custom-built web applications, third-party systems, or client-side libraries1.
- Check Version: Verify if you are running affected versions of jQuery. Upgrading to a patched release (jQuery version 3.5.0 or later) addresses this issue14.
Implement Protections
- Use Web Application Firewall (WAF): If immediate updates are not feasible, use a WAF to filter and monitor malicious entries temporarily1.
- Sanitize HTML: Use DOMPurify with the SAFE_FOR_JQUERY flag to sanitize HTML strings before passing them to jQuery methods as a workaround4.
Regular Vulnerability Management
- Integrate CISA’s KEV Catalog: Incorporate CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog into your threat intelligence solutions to stay updated on active security threats1.
Security Best Practices
- Least-Privilege Policies: Implement least-privilege policies, multi-factor authentication, and segmentation to limit the potential damage from successful exploits1.
Additional Considerations
- Proactive Patching: Proactive patching is generally cheaper and less reputation-damaging than incident remediation. It is advised to patch vulnerabilities before they are exploited1.
- Broader Implications: The vulnerability affects not only federal agencies but also private enterprises and individual users. CISA strongly urges all entities to incorporate these remediations into their vulnerability management strategies14.
By following these steps and staying informed through CISA’s directives, organizations and individuals can effectively mitigate the risks associated with the CVE-2020-11023 jQuery XSS vulnerability. For more detailed guidance, refer to the resources provided by CISA and the jQuery community.
References
1: https://windowsforum.com/threads/understanding-cve-2020-11023-jquery-xss-vulnerability-explained.350378/
2: https://wnesecurity.com/cve-2020-11023-jquery-cross-site-scripting-xss-vulnerability/
3: https://thecyberthrone.in/2025/01/24/cisa-adds-jquery-cve-2020-11023-to-kev-catalog/
4: https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/cisa-adds-five-year-old-jquery-xss-flaw.html