Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via SVG Schema innerHTML Injection in @pdfme/schemas

## Summary The SVG schema plugin in `@pdfme/schemas` renders user-supplied SVG content using `container.innerHTML = value` without any sanitization, enabling arbitrary JavaScript execution in the user's browser. ## Details In `packages/schemas/src/graphics/svg.ts`, line 87, the SVG schema's `ui` renderer assigns raw SVG markup directly to `innerHTML` when in viewer mode or form mode with `readOnly: true`: ```typescript // svg.ts, line 81-94 (non-editable rendering path) } else { if (!value) return; if (!isValidSVG(value)) { rootElement.appendChild(createErrorElm()); return; } container.innerHTML = value; // <-- VULNERABLE: unsanitized SVG injected into DOM const svgElement = container.childNodes[0]; if (svgElement instanceof SVGElement) { svgElement.setAttribute('width', '100%'); svgElement.setAttribute('height', '100%'); rootElement.appendChild(container); } } ``` The `isValidSVG()` function (lines 11-37) only validates that the string contains `<svg` and `</svg>` tags and passes `DOMParser` well-formedness checks. It does NOT strip or block: - `<script>` tags embedded in SVG - Event handler attributes (`onload`, `onerror`, `onclick`, etc.) - `<foreignObject>` elements containing HTML with event handlers - `<animate>` / `<set>` elements with `onbegin` / `onend` handlers - SVG `<use>` elements referencing malicious external resources All of these are valid SVG and pass `isValidSVG()`, but execute JavaScript when inserted via `innerHTML`. ## Attack Vectors ### 1. Malicious Template (readOnly SVG schema) An attacker crafts a template JSON with a readOnly SVG schema containing a malicious `content` value. When loaded into the pdfme Form or Viewer component, the SVG executes JavaScript. ### 2. Application-Supplied Inputs + Viewer If an application uses the pdfme Viewer component and passes user-controlled data as inputs for a non-readOnly SVG schema, the attacker's SVG flows directly to `innerHTML`. ## Proof of Concept Loading the following template into a pdfme Form or Viewer component triggers JavaScript execution: ```json { "basePdf": { "width": 210, "height": 297, "padding": [20, 20, 20, 20] }, "schemas": [[ { "name": "malicious_svg", "type": "svg", "content": "<svg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' onload='alert(document.domain)'><rect width='100' height='100' fill='red'/></svg>", "readOnly": true, "position": { "x": 20, "y": 20 }, "width": 80, "height": 40 } ]] } ``` Additional payloads that bypass `isValidSVG()` and execute JavaScript: ```svg <!-- Via foreignObject --> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><foreignObject width="200" height="60"><body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><img src="x" onerror="alert(1)"/></body></foreignObject></svg> <!-- Via animate onbegin --> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect width="100" height="100"><animate attributeName="x" values="0" dur="0.001s" onbegin="alert(1)"/></rect></svg> ``` ## Impact An attacker who can supply a malicious template (via file upload, shared template URL, multi-tenant template storage, or `updateTemplate()` API) can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of any user who views or fills the template. This enables: - Session hijacking via cookie/token theft - Keylogging of form inputs (including sensitive data being entered into PDF forms) - Phishing attacks by modifying the rendered page - Data exfiltration from the application The attack is particularly concerning for multi-tenant SaaS applications using pdfme where templates may be user-supplied. ## Suggested Fix Sanitize SVG content before DOM insertion using DOMPurify or a similar library: ```typescript import DOMPurify from 'dompurify'; // Replace line 87: container.innerHTML = DOMPurify.sanitize(value, { USE_PROFILES: { svg: true } }); ``` Alternatively, parse the SVG via `DOMParser`, strip all script elements and event handler attributes, then append the sanitized DOM nodes.

Source published

18 Mar 2026 16:10:26 UTC

Source modified

1 Sep 2026 03:55:41 UTC

Observed here

24 Oct 2026 13:17:17 UTC

Source terms

GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0

Original source record · Cite this exact observation · Complete original publisher JSON

This view projects the publisher's source fields for reading; the original JSON retains additional fields and CVE enrichment containers. Attribution: osv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

CVSS_V3 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Publisher rating · MODERATE