CVE-2023-22491

CVE-2023-22491 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gatsbyjs Gatsby with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-79.

Key facts

Description

Gatsby is a free and open source framework based on React that helps developers build websites and apps. The gatsby-transformer-remark plugin prior to versions 5.25.1 and 6.3.2 passes input through to the `gray-matter` npm package, which is vulnerable to JavaScript injection in its default configuration, unless input is sanitized. The vulnerability is present in gatsby-transformer-remark when passing input in data mode (querying MarkdownRemark nodes via GraphQL). Injected JavaScript executes in the context of the build server. To exploit this vulnerability untrusted/unsanitized input would need to be sourced by or added into a file processed by gatsby-transformer-remark. A patch has been introduced in `[email protected]` and `[email protected]` which mitigates the issue by disabling the `gray-matter` JavaScript Frontmatter engine. As a workaround, if an older version of `gatsby-transformer-remark` must be used, input passed into the plugin should be sanitized ahead of processing. It is encouraged for projects to upgrade to the latest major release branch for all Gatsby plugins to ensure the latest security updates and bug fixes are received in a timely manner.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-22491?
Gatsby is a free and open source framework based on React that helps developers build websites and apps. The gatsby-transformer-remark plugin prior to versions 5.25.1 and 6.3.2 passes input through to the `gray-matter` npm package, which is vulnerable to JavaScript injection in its default configuration, unless input is sanitized. The vulnerability is present in gatsby-transformer-remark when passing input in data mode (querying MarkdownRemark nodes via GraphQL). Injected JavaScript executes in the context of the build server. To exploit this vulnerability untrusted/unsanitized input would need to be sourced by or added into a file processed by gatsby-transformer-remark. A patch has been introduced in `[email protected]` and `[email protected]` which mitigates the issue by disabling the `gray-matter` JavaScript Frontmatter engine. As a workaround, if an older version of `gatsby-transformer-remark` must be used, input passed into the plugin should be sanitized ahead of processing. It is encouraged for projects to upgrade to the latest major release branch for all Gatsby plugins to ensure the latest security updates and bug fixes are received in a timely manner.
How severe is CVE-2023-22491?
CVE-2023-22491 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-22491 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (45th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-22491?
CVE-2023-22491 primarily affects Gatsbyjs Gatsby. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-22491?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-22491 published?
CVE-2023-22491 was published on 2023-01-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

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