Highcharts Core: `javascript:` URL in an `xlink:href` attribute survives text filtering and reaches exported charts
Impact
Highcharts Core versions 10.3.2 to 13.1.0 are affected by a vulnerability where a `javascript:` URL in an `xlink:href` attribute can bypass text filtering and reach exported charts, allowing an attacker to run script in the origin of a document when a user activates the link. Exploitation requires untrusted data to reach a text option and a user to activate the link. The vulnerability is related to improper neutralization of input during web page generation.
Summarized by @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast. Verify details against the original sources.Exploitation requires that untrusted data reach a text option such as the title, that the chart be exported or its markup be serialised and parsed again, and that a user activate the link.
Affected packages
Start with the recorded fix for your release branch. Check your installed version and test compatibility before upgrading. Fixing this advisory does not rule out other vulnerabilities in the release.
| Affected range | Recorded fix |
|---|---|
| From 10.3.2 before 11.4.9Semantic versions | 11.4.9 |
| From 12.0.0 before 12.6.2Semantic versions | 12.6.2 |
| From 13.0.0 before 13.1.1Semantic versions | 13.1.1 |
Version evidence: OSV · GHSA-mw4f-gj5x-6xr4
View original version evidence (0 explicit versions)
Affected products
Vendor version evidence. Product records are separate from automatic dependency matching.
highcharts · GitHub_M
highcharts
3 ranges
highcharts · GitHub_M
highcharts
Compare with this publisher’s ranges. This does not inspect your installation.
affected
>= 10.3.2, < 11.4.9
>= 12.0.0, < 12.6.2
>= 13.0.0, < 13.1.1
Other versions: unknown
Original source description
Impact
The filter applied to markup in text options checks href, src and a few similar attributes against an allowed-scheme list, but accepts xlink:href without that check, so an SVG anchor whose xlink:href is a javascript: URL passes the filter, whether or not the option is rendered with useHTML. In the live page the attribute is written without the XLink namespace, so browsers do not treat the anchor as a link there.
The attribute is preserved verbatim in the chart's serialised output: the SVG produced by the exporting module, including the default SVG download, declares the XLink namespace and contains the anchor, and so does the markup of the chart container. Any document that parses that output again, such as the downloaded SVG opened in a browser or a page that inlines exported or server-rendered chart markup, then holds a working link, and an attacker who controls the chart configuration can thereby run script in the origin of that document when a user activates the link.
Exploitation requires that untrusted data reach a text option such as the title, that the chart be exported or its markup be serialised and parsed again, and that a user activate the link.
Workarounds
Drop-in fix for all affected versions (10.3.2 - 13.1.0).
Add the below IIFE to run after Highcharts is loaded, before creating a chart.
!function(t){var e=t&&t.AST;if(e&&"function"==typeof e.filterUserAttributes&&!e.xlinkHrefPatched){var r=e.filterUserAttributes,n=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;e.filterUserAttributes=function(t){return t&&n.call(t,"xlink:href")&&!o(t["xlink:href"])&&delete t["xlink:href"],r.call(this,t)},e.xlinkHrefPatched=!0}function o(t){var r=e.allowedReferences||["https://","http://","mailto:","/","../","./","#"];return"string"==typeof t&&r.some(function(e){return 0===t.indexOf(e)})}}(Highcharts);
Obtaining the patched version
The patched releases are available from all the usual distribution channels. With npm, upgrade the affected package to the patched version listed above, for example npm install highcharts@13.1.1. If you load Highcharts from the CDN, use the versioned URLs on code.highcharts.com, for example https://code.highcharts.com/13.1.1/highcharts.js. For more on each installation method, see the installation guide.
Inside the record
Evidence available
Describes the evidence in this view, not whether the product is safe.
Original records
CVE-2026-116796View the latest unmodified CVE JSON from the official source. It may be newer than this imported page.
cve.new JSON →Underlying weaknesses
The source’s classification of what caused the vulnerability.
Contributing organizations · 2
Assigning organization
Additional data publisher
What changed
Follow changes- CVE · CVE-2026-116796
Observed 2026-10-29T18:54:09.599Z · upstream updated 2026-10-29T18:34:59.207Z
Prioritization updated
before
[]
after
[ { "source": "CISA-ADP", "type": "SSVC", "role": "CISA Coordinator", "timestamp": "2026-10-29T18:34:49.411209Z", "decisions": [ { "name": "Exploitation", "value": "none" }, { "name": "Automatable", "value": "no" }, { "name": "Technical Impact", "value": "partial" } ] } ]
Large field values are marked as truncated previews. Original source snapshots remain retained.
Showing up to 50 most recent observed changes.