DOMPurify has a SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES bypass in RETURN_DOM mode

CISA KEV is observed exploitation evidence. FIRST EPSS is a dated prediction of exploitation in the next 30 days. Missing scores are unknown. This collector requests predictions only for explicit CVE aliases in the public NuGet archive; Microsoft release views retain their existing prediction scope.

No collected risk observation for these identifiers. This does not establish absence of exploitation or a zero probability.

DOMPurify is a DOM-only cross-site scripting sanitizer for HTML, MathML, and SVG. Starting in version 1.0.10 and prior to version 3.4.0, `SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES` strips `{{...}}` expressions from untrusted HTML. This works in string mode but not with `RETURN_DOM` or `RETURN_DOM_FRAGMENT`, allowing XSS via template-evaluating frameworks like Vue 2. Version 3.4.0 patches the issue.

Source published

23 Apr 2026 14:47:56 UTC

Source modified

25 Apr 2026 01:21:43 UTC

Observed here

23 Oct 2026 15:48:27 UTC

Source terms

CVE Program Terms of Use

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: cve-program · CVE Program Terms of Use. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

CVSS 3.1 · 6.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

DOMPurify is a DOM-only cross-site scripting sanitizer for HTML, MathML, and SVG. Starting in version 1.0.10 and prior to version 3.4.0, `SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES` strips `{{...}}` expressions from untrusted HTML. This works in string mode but not with `RETURN_DOM` or `RETURN_DOM_FRAGMENT`, allowing XSS via template-evaluating frameworks like Vue 2. Version 3.4.0 patches the issue.

Source published

Apr 23, 2026, 2:47:56 PM (timezone not stated)

Source modified

Apr 25, 2026, 1:21:43 AM (timezone not stated)

Observed here

28 Oct 2026 05:07:17 UTC

Source terms

ENISA EUVD · source terms and attribution apply

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: euvd · ENISA EUVD · source terms and attribution apply. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

EUVD CVSS 3.1 · 6.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

DOMPurify is a DOM-only cross-site scripting sanitizer for HTML, MathML, and SVG. Starting in version 1.0.10 and prior to version 3.4.0, `SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES` strips `{{...}}` expressions from untrusted HTML. This works in string mode but not with `RETURN_DOM` or `RETURN_DOM_FRAGMENT`, allowing XSS via template-evaluating frameworks like Vue 2. Version 3.4.0 patches the issue.

Source published

23 Apr 2026 16:16:26 UTC

Source modified

26 Oct 2026 21:10:00 UTC

Observed here

27 Oct 2026 10:10:07 UTC

Source terms

NIST NVD usage terms; underlying source attribution retained

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: nvd · NIST NVD usage terms; underlying source attribution retained. Source text is retained; field grouping and change labels are provided by ChangeIntel.

CVSS 3.1 · [email protected] · Secondary · 6.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

## Summary | Field | Value | |:------|:------| | **Severity** | Medium | | **Affected** | DOMPurify `main` at [`883ac15`](https://github.com/cure53/DOMPurify/tree/883ac15d47f907cb1a3b5a152fe90c4d8c10f9e6), introduced in v1.0.10 ([`7fc196db`](https://github.com/cure53/DOMPurify/commit/7fc196db0b42a0c360262dba0cc39c9c91bfe1ec)) | `SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES` strips `{{...}}` expressions from untrusted HTML. This works in string mode but not with `RETURN_DOM` or `RETURN_DOM_FRAGMENT`, allowing XSS via template-evaluating frameworks like Vue 2. ## Technical Details DOMPurify strips template expressions in two passes: 1. **Per-node** — each text node is checked during the tree walk ([`purify.ts:1179-1191`](https://github.com/cure53/DOMPurify/blob/883ac15d47f907cb1a3b5a152fe90c4d8c10f9e6/src/purify.ts#L1179-L1191)): ```js // pass #1: runs on every text node during tree walk if (SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES && currentNode.nodeType === NODE_TYPE.text) { content = currentNode.textContent; content = content.replace(MUSTACHE_EXPR, ' '); // {{...}} -> ' ' content = content.replace(ERB_EXPR, ' '); // <%...%> -> ' ' content = content.replace(TMPLIT_EXPR, ' '); // ${... -> ' ' currentNode.textContent = content; } ``` 2. **Final string scrub** — after serialization, the full HTML string is scrubbed again ([`purify.ts:1679-1683`](https://github.com/cure53/DOMPurify/blob/883ac15d47f907cb1a3b5a152fe90c4d8c10f9e6/src/purify.ts#L1679-L1683)). This is the safety net that catches expressions that only form after the DOM settles. The `RETURN_DOM` path returns before pass #2 ever runs ([`purify.ts:1637-1661`](https://github.com/cure53/DOMPurify/blob/883ac15d47f907cb1a3b5a152fe90c4d8c10f9e6/src/purify.ts#L1637-L1661)): ```js // purify.ts (simplified) if (RETURN_DOM) { // ... build returnNode ... return returnNode; // <-- exits here, pass #2 never runs } // pass #2: only reached by string-mode callers if (SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES) { serializedHTML = serializedHTML.replace(MUSTACHE_EXPR, ' '); } return serializedHTML; ``` The payload `{<foo></foo>{constructor.constructor('alert(1)')()}<foo></foo>}` exploits this: 1. Parser creates: `TEXT("{")` → `<foo>` → `TEXT("{payload}")` → `<foo>` → `TEXT("}")` — no single node contains `{{`, so pass #1 misses it 2. `<foo>` is not allowed, so DOMPurify removes it but keeps surrounding text 3. The three text nodes are now adjacent — `.outerHTML` reads them as `{{payload}}`, which Vue 2 compiles and executes ## Reproduce Open the following html in any browser and `alert(1)` pops up. ```html <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <body> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/purify.min.js"></script> <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/vue.min.js"></script> <script> var dirty = '<div id="app">{<foo></foo>{constructor.constructor("alert(1)")()}<foo></foo>}</div>'; var dom = DOMPurify.sanitize(dirty, { SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES: true, RETURN_DOM: true }); document.body.appendChild(dom.firstChild); new Vue({ el: '#app' }); </script> </body> </html> ``` ## Impact Any application that sanitizes attacker-controlled HTML with `SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES: true` and `RETURN_DOM: true` (or `RETURN_DOM_FRAGMENT: true`), then mounts the result into a template-evaluating framework, is vulnerable to XSS. ## Recommendations ### Fix `normalize()` merges the split text nodes, then the same regex from the string path catches the expression. Placed before the fragment logic, this fixes both `RETURN_DOM` and `RETURN_DOM_FRAGMENT`. ```diff if (RETURN_DOM) { + if (SAFE_FOR_TEMPLATES) { + body.normalize(); + let html = body.innerHTML; + arrayForEach([MUSTACHE_EXPR, ERB_EXPR, TMPLIT_EXPR], (expr: RegExp) => { + html = stringReplace(html, expr, ' '); + }); + body.innerHTML = html; + } + if (RETURN_DOM_FRAGMENT) { returnNode = createDocumentFragment.call(body.ownerDocument); ```

Source published

22 Apr 2026 17:32:54 UTC

Source modified

10 Sep 2026 03:50:43 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:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Publisher rating · MODERATE