CVE-2026-42197

Description

RELATE is a web-based courseware package. Versions prior to commit 555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620 have a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows any enrolled student to execute arbitrary JavaScript in an administrator's browser session, potentially leading to full admin account takeover. The `get_user()` method in `ParticipationAdmin` renders user-controlled input using `mark_safe` combined with Python's % string formatting. This bypasses Django\'s automatic HTML escaping entirely. The value returned by `get_full_name` is derived directly from the `first_name` and `last_name` fields of the User model. These fields are freely editable by any authenticated user through the profile page (`/profile/`) with no sanitization applied. When an admin views the Participation list in the Django admin panel, the unsanitized value is rendered directly into the HTML response, causing the injected script to execute in the admin's browser. Commit 555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620 fixes the issue.

CVSS v3.1 Score

8.7

HIGH

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

References

Other References

https://github.com/inducer/relate/blob/550b8c54eb4d5f3e5f6698dcba361bf34d715599/course/admin.py#L347-L368 https://github.com/inducer/relate/commit/555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620 https://github.com/inducer/relate/security/advisories/GHSA-37xm-vhx8-g6w3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42197? +

RELATE is a web-based courseware package. Versions prior to commit 555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620 have a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows any enrolled student to execute arbitrary JavaScript in an administrator's browser session, potentially leading to full admin account takeover. The `get_user()` method in `ParticipationAdmin` renders user-controlled input using `mark_safe` combined with Python's % string formatting. This bypasses Django\'s automatic HTML escaping entirely. The value returned by `get_full_name` is derived directly from the `first_name` and `last_name` fields of the User model. These fields are freely editable by any authenticated user through the profile page (`/profile/`) with no sanitization applied. When an admin views the Participation list in the Django admin panel, the unsanitized value is rendered directly into the HTML response, causing the injected script to execute in the admin's browser. Commit 555f0efb1c5bd7531c07cd73724d7e566a81f620 fixes the issue. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.7 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-42197? +

CVE-2026-42197 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.7 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-42197? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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