CVE-2026-83605 — xmldom: Attribute name injection via setAttribute() bypasses requireWellFormed
xmldom is a pure JavaScript W3C standard-based (XML DOM Level 2 Core) DOMParser and XMLSerializer module. Prior to @xmldom/xmldom versions 0.8.14 and 0.9.11, and in xmldom version 0.6.0 and earlier, Element.setAttribute() calls the private _createAttribute(name) path without validating the attribute name, while Document.createAttribute(name) validates against QName. XMLSerializer.serializeToString() emits attribute names verbatim, and requireWellFormed: true did not validate them, so a crafted name can terminate the intended attribute and inject additional attributes, including event handlers, into browser-consumed output; synthesized xmlns:PREFIX declarations expose the same unchecked-name boundary. This issue is fixed in @xmldom/xmldom versions 0.8.14 and 0.9.11; no fixed version is available for xmldom.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (high)+6
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Xmldom Xmldom).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (injection), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.7 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.7 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Look for parameters with command/query metacharacters and unexpected child processes of the service.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · xmldom/xmldom, @xmldom/xmldom
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 8.7
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
7 on the record
- github.com/xmldom/xmldom/pull/1050
- github.com/xmldom/xmldom/releases/tag/0.8.14
- github.com/xmldom/xmldom/pull/1043
- github.com/xmldom/xmldom/commit/d8212e632507eaf1d9f609657dd4c56abeb12d44
- github.com/xmldom/xmldom/security/advisories/GHSA-4w3w-2rp5-g8jm
- github.com/xmldom/xmldom/releases/tag/0.9.11
- github.com/xmldom/xmldom/commit/cba1321218b069182695813fa7565653708e172e
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-83619 xmldom: End-tag Whitespace-Trim Regex ReDoS — quadratic backtracking in the 0.8.x end-tag parser Sep 1, 2026
- High CVE-2026-83616 xmldom: Processing Instruction Target Injection Bypasses requireWellFormed Sep 1, 2026
- High CVE-2026-83617 xmldom: requireWellFormed element/attribute name validation is bypassable via an embedded line terminator Sep 1, 2026
- High CVE-2026-83618 xmldom: requireWellFormed DocType publicId/systemId validation is bypassable via an embedded line terminator Sep 1, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-83610 xmldom: XML fragment injection via invalid EntityReference.nodeName during requireWellFormed serialization Sep 1, 2026
- High CVE-2026-83612 xmldom: HTML raw-text closing-tag case mismatch causes output amplification Sep 1, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No FIRST EPSS score.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-83605 is "xmldom: Attribute name injection via setAttribute() bypasses requireWellFormed", rated High. It affects Xmldom (Xmldom); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.7 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.