CVE-2020-6816
mediumpriority · track · 24EPSS 0.013 · 71 %ileEURUUSEPSS · scored 2026-10-23
In Mozilla Bleach before 3.12, a mutation XSS in bleach.clean when RCDATA and either svg or math tags are whitelisted and the keyword argument strip=False.
cvss
Technical severity, 0–10. One row per scoring source.
base score 0–10 · higher = more severe · hover a vector to decode
weaknesses
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affected products (8)
Products and version ranges known to be affected.
advisories (2)
Vendor and ecosystem advisories describing this.
- GHSA-m6xf-fq7q-8743Bleach vulnerable to mutation XSS via whitelisted math or svg and raw tag2020-03-24ghsa · osvUS
### Impact A [mutation XSS](https://cure53.de/fp170.pdf) affects users calling `bleach.clean` with all of: * the `svg` or `math` in the allowed/whitelisted tags * an RCDATA tag (see below) in the allowed/whitelisted tags * the keyword argument `strip=False` ### Patches Users are encouraged to upgrade to bleach v3.1.2 or greater. ### Workarounds * modify `bleach.clean` calls to use `strip=True`, or not whitelist `math` or `svg` tags and one or more of the following tags: ``` script noscript style noframes xmp noembed iframe ``` * A strong [Content-Security-Policy](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/CSP) without `unsafe-inline` and `unsafe-eval` [`script-src`s](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Content-Security-Policy/script-src)) will also help mitigate the risk. ### References * https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1621692 * https://cure53.de/fp170.pdf * https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-6816 * https://www.checkmarx.com/blog/vulnerabilities-discovered-in-mozilla-bleach ### Credits * Reported by [Yaniv Nizry](https://twitter.com/ynizry) from the CxSCA AppSec group at Checkmarx ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue at [https://github.com/mozilla/bleach/issues](https://github.com/mozilla/bleach/issues) * Email us at [security@mozilla.org](mailto:security@mozilla.org)
- PYSEC-2020-282020-03-24vendor · osvUS
In Mozilla Bleach before 3.12, a mutation XSS in bleach.clean when RCDATA and either svg or math tags are whitelisted and the keyword argument strip=False.
also known as (7)
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sources
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references (16)
External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.
- https://advisory.checkmarx.net/advisory/CX-2020-4277cnnvd
- https://github.com/mozilla/bleach/security/advisories/GHSA-m6xf-fq7q-8743cnnvd
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/EDQU2SZLZMSSACCBUBJ6NOSRNNBDYFW5/cnnvd
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-6816cnnvd
- https://vigilance.fr/vulnerability/Python-Bleach-Cross-Site-Scripting-via-RCDATA-31855cnnvd
- https://www.auscert.org.au/bulletins/ESB-2020.1022/cnnvd
- https://www.checkmarx.com/blog/vulnerabilities-discovered-in-mozilla-bleachcnnvd
- https://www.ibm.com/blogs/psirt/security-bulletin-a-security-vulnerability-has-been-identified-in-bleach-shipped-with-ibm-watson-machine-learning-community-edition-wmlce/cnnvd
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