Reported vulnerability

TimelineJS3 < 3.7.0 - Stored Cross-Site Scripting

Published 9 Jul 2020

Updated 22 Jan 2024

CVE-2020-15092

Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.

Does this affect my version?

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Knight Lab Timeline

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Wordfence advisory

high · CVSS 7.2

In TimelineJS before version 3.7.0, some user data renders as HTML. An attacker could implement an XSS exploit with maliciously crafted content in a number of data fields. This risk is present whether the source data for the timeline is stored on Google Sheets or in a JSON configuration file. Most TimelineJS users configure their timeline with a Google Sheets document. Those users are exposed to this vulnerability if they grant write access to the document to a malicious inside attacker, if the access of a trusted user is compromised, or if they grant public write access to the document. Some TimelineJS users configure their timeline with a JSON document. Those users are exposed to this vulnerability if they grant write access to the document to a malicious inside attacker, if the access of a trusted user is compromised, or if write access to the system hosting that document is otherwise compromised. Version 3.7.0 of TimelineJS addresses this in two ways. For content which is intended to support limited HTML markup for styling and linking, that content is "sanitized" before being added to the DOM. For content intended for simple text display, all markup is stripped. Very few users of TimelineJS actually install the TimelineJS code on their server. Most users publish a timeline using a URL hosted on systems we control. The fix for this issue is published to our system such that **those users will automatically begin using the new code**. The only exception would be users who have deliberately edited the embed URL to "pin" their timeline to an earlier version of the code. Some users of TimelineJS use it as a part of a wordpress plugin (knight-lab-timelinejs). Version 3.7.0.0 of that plugin and newer integrate the updated code. Users are encouraged to update the plugin rather than manually update the embedded version of TimelineJS.

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Knight Lab Timeline

Software
plugin · knight-lab-timelinejs
Affected versions
Start version unspecified, before 3.7.0
Fix availability
Fix available
Fixed versions
3.7.0

Recommended action

Update to version 3.7.0, or a newer patched version

Further references (1)
Data sources and licences

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Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

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Source: Wordfence

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Questions about this vulnerability

Which versions of Knight Lab Timeline are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, before 3.7.0. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Is a fix available for Knight Lab Timeline?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in Knight Lab Timeline. It lists these fixed versions: 3.7.0. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Where can I find my installed plugin version?

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?

An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.

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