CVE-2021-41184 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE relates to XSS in the

of

option of the

.position()

util in jQuery-UI before version 1.13.0.

Understanding CVE-2021-41184

What is CVE-2021-41184?

jQuery-UI, the official jQuery user interface library, had a vulnerability where accepting the

of

option from untrusted sources could lead to code execution pre v1.13.0.

The Impact of CVE-2021-41184

This vulnerability allowed the execution of untrusted code, posing a risk to systems utilizing jQuery-UI before version 1.13.0.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-41184

Vulnerability Description

Prior to version 1.13.0 of jQuery-UI, accepting the

of

option from untrusted sources could execute untrusted code, impacting system security.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: jQuery
Product: jQuery-UI
Versions Affected: < 1.13.0

Exploitation Mechanism

The issue stemmed from not validating inputs properly, leading to the execution of untrusted code via the

of

option in the

.position()

util.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to jQuery UI version 1.13.0 or higher to mitigate this XSS vulnerability.
Avoid accepting the

of

option value from untrusted sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update libraries and plugins to stay protected against known vulnerabilities.
Implement input validation and sanitization to prevent XSS attacks.
Conduct security audits and testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely patching and updates of all software components, especially third-party libraries and dependencies to address known security issues.