GHSA-4vpr-x523-8j87

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    GHSA-4vpr-x523-8j87

    Published: 8 Sept 2026Last Modified: 8 Sept 2026

    Summary: SVGO: removeScripts incompletely sanitizes executable HTML in SVG foreignObject elements

    Details: ## Summary SVGO's opt-in `removeScripts` plugin did not inspect executable HTML content inside SVG `<foreignObject>` elements. Applications that used this plugin as their only protection for untrusted SVG input could produce SVGs containing active HTML and expose users to cross-site scripting (XSS). SVGO is an optimizer rather than a comprehensive sanitization library, but `removeScripts` is maintained for consumers that already rely on it to remove common script execution paths. ## Details Although the plugin removed SVG and XHTML `<script>` elements, it left other HTML execution paths inside `<foreignObject>` unchanged. These included: - event-handler attributes such as `onload` and `onbeforetoggle`; - `srcdoc` documents, including on `<iframe>` elements; - executable URLs in HTML attributes such as `action`, `data`, `formaction`, `href`, and `src`. An attacker could place one of these payloads in an SVG. If an application optimized the untrusted SVG with `removeScripts` and then served the result in an active browser context, the payload could execute in the viewer's origin. ## Impact Successful exploitation could allow script execution in the context where the optimized SVG is rendered. Depending on the embedding and origin configuration, this could expose cookies or local storage, modify content, or perform actions as the victim. The plugin is opt-in, so consumers that do not enable `removeScripts` are not relying on the affected behavior. Typical local optimization of trusted SVG files is not affected. ## Patches Upgrade to one of the following releases for the maintained release line in use: | Release line | Patched version | Plugin | | --- | --- | --- | | v2 | 2.8.4 | `removeScriptElement` | | v3 | 3.3.5 | `removeScriptElement` | | v4 | 4.1.0 | `removeScripts` | The fix preserves visual HTML inside SVG `<foreignObject>` elements while removing event attributes, `srcdoc`, and executable URL values from active HTML URL attributes. SVGO v1 is no longer maintained. Users of v1 should upgrade to a supported release line. ## Workarounds For hostile input, use a dedicated SVG sanitization tool before passing the SVG to SVGO. As defense in depth, applications can reject or remove `<foreignObject>` content and avoid serving user-controlled SVGs in an active same-origin context.

    Affected packages

    Package

    Name: svgo

    Purl: pkg:npm/svgo

    Affected ranges

    Type: SEMVER

    Events:

    Introduced- 1.0.0
    Fixed -2.8.4

    Affected versions

    Common Vulnerability Scoring System

    Attack Vector
    Network
    Adjacent
    Local
    Physical
    Privileges Required
    None
    Low
    High
    User Interaction
    None
    Required
    Scope
    Unchanged
    Changed
    Confidentiality
    None
    Low
    High
    Integrity
    None
    Low
    High
    Availability
    None
    Low
    High