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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-55085High confidence

Etherpad: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in etherpad-lite

ether · etherpad

9.6CriticalCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Within 72 hours

Critical technical impact and a public exploit reference; no CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.

Patch available
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Select the national-authority views to include. The exact source language is shown on each matched advisory. Your choice is remembered on this device and encoded in the shareable URL.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-62740

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor. Prior to 3.3.1, result.appendSpan in src/static/js/domline.ts interpolates the start attribute of a numbered list directly into an unquoted ol start attribute before assigning the generated markup to node.innerHTML. ImportEtherpad.setPadRaw in src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.ts accepts attacker-controlled attribute-pool values from a crafted .etherpad import, including list:number1 and a malicious start value. Any user with write access to a pad can store markup that executes as cross-site scripting when another user opens the pad or /timeslider, including when an administrator views the pad. This issue is fixed in version 3.3.1.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
9.6 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 72 hours

Critical technical impact and a public exploit reference; no CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor. Prior to 3.3.1, result.appendSpan in src/static/js/domline.ts interpolates the start attribute of a numbered list directly into an unquoted ol start attribute before assigning the generated markup to node.innerHTML. ImportEtherpad.setPadRaw in src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.ts accepts attacker-controlled attribute-pool values from a crafted .etherpad import, including list:number1 and a malicious start value. Any user with write access to a pad can store markup that executes as cross-site scripting when another user opens the pad or /timeslider, including when an administrator views the pad. This issue is fixed in version 3.3.1.

What

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor. Prior to 3.3.1, result.appendSpan in src/static/js/domline.ts interpolates the start attribute of a numbered list directly into an unquoted ol start attribute before assigning the generated markup to node.innerHTML. ImportEtherpad.setPadRaw in src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.ts accepts attacker-controlled attribute-pool values from a crafted .etherpad import, including list:number1 and a malicious start value. Any user with write access to a pad can store markup that executes as cross-site scripting when another user opens the pad or /timeslider, including when an administrator views the pad. This issue is fixed in version 3.3.1.

Why

Attacker-controlled content can reach a browser as executable script without sufficient output encoding or sanitisation.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication after a user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor. Prior to 3.3.1, result.appendSpan in src/static/js/domline.ts interpolates the start attribute of a numbered list directly into an unquoted ol start attribute before assigning the generated markup to node.innerHTML. ImportEtherpad.setPadRaw in src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.ts accepts attacker-controlled attribute-pool values from a crafted .etherpad import, including list:number1 and a malicious start value. Any user with write access to a pad can store markup that executes as cross-site scripting when another user opens the pad or /timeslider, including when an administrator views the pad. This issue is fixed in version 3.3.1.

Why

Attacker-controlled content can reach a browser as executable script without sufficient output encoding or sanitisation.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication after a user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
Reference recorded

CISA Vulnrichment records proof-of-concept exploitation in its SSVC data. BlackTree has not independently executed or validated exploit material.

Likely attack path
a network path → Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
Required interaction required
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Changed: exploitation can affect a different security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-79 ↗

CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'). The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UIRequiredUser interaction: Another user must perform an action for exploitation to succeed.SChangedScope: The attack can affect a component governed by a different security authority.CHighConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.IHighIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a major loss.ALowAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-79Public exploit reference
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-62740Official EUVD mapping

Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor. Prior to 3.3.1, result.appendSpan in src/static/js/domline.ts interpolates the start attribute of a numbered list directly into an unquoted ol start attribute before assigning the generated markup to node.innerHTML. ImportEtherpad.setPadRaw in src/node/utils/ImportEtherpad.ts accepts attacker-controlled attribute-pool values from a crafted .etherpad import, including list:number1 and a malicious start value. Any user with write access to a pad can store markup that executes as cross-site scripting when another user opens the pad or /timeslider, including when an administrator views the pad. This issue is fixed in version 3.3.1.

Official EUVD record
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
< 3.3.1
Fixed
3.3.1.
Action
Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 19 Aug 2026 · Last source change 21 Aug 2026, 19:47 UTC · CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-23
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-62740
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD not scheduled

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates →
  1. Public exploit evidencePublic exploit evidence changed from No public exploit to Public exploit reference.
    Before
    No public exploit
    After
    Public exploit reference
    CVE.org ↗
  2. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-62740↗CISA Vulnrichment SSVC evidence↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
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