Know every vulnerabilitybefore it knows you.
DevGuard continuously monitors your dependencies and alerts you when CVEs like this one affect your stack — with real-time threat intelligence built for developers.
GHSA-cjcx-jfp2-f7m2
No affected components available
The organiser search in the pretalx backend rendered submission titles, speaker display names, and user names/emails into the result dropdown using innerHTML string interpolation. Any user who controls one of those fields (which includes any registered user whose display name is looked up by an administrator) could include HTML or JavaScript that would execute in an organiser's browser when the organiser's search query matched the malicious record.
Triggering the vulnerability required:
- An attacker-controlled field reachable by the search, which included any speaker's or submitter's display name in an event context (submitted a proposal) or any user at all for superusers.
- An organiser user with more than just review permissions or administrator user performing a typeahead search whose query matched the malicious record. An attacker can make matches likely by placing common substrings in the payload-bearing field.
Once triggered, the injected script executed in the context of the pretalx organiser interface and could read the page's CSRF token, submit authenticated requests on the victim's behalf (including requests modifying data due to access to the CSRF token), or exfiltrate data visible to the victim.
Patches
Fixed in pretalx v2026.1.0.
Workarounds
There is no configuration-level workaround. Operators who cannot upgrade immediately can avoid using the organiser search bar, or apply the patch to src/pretalx/static/orga/js/base.js manually and re-collect static files.
Credits
We thank Elad Meged from Novee Security for finding and reporting this vulnerability.
The vulnerability can be exploited over the network without needing physical access. It is easy for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker needs basic access or low-level privileges. The attacker needs the user to perform some action, like clicking a link. The vulnerability can affect other systems as well, not just the initial system. There is a high impact on the confidentiality of the information. There is a high impact on the integrity of the data.
Exploitation activity has been observed. Apply available patches or mitigations urgently.
The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.
We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.
Browse More
Continuously monitor your dependencies and get alerted when vulnerabilities like this one affect your stack.
Checkout DevGuard