CVE-2018-16481
MEDIUMCVE-2018-16481 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in html-pages. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2018-16481 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Cross-Site Scripting in html-pages
Real-World Exposure
html-pagesReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects npm packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
All versions of html-pages are vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). The package fails to sanitize folder names, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the victim's browser through folders with names containing malicious code.
Recommendation
No fix is currently available. Consider using an alternative package until a fix is made available.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | html-pages | all versions | No fix |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for html-pages. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Remediation status
No patched version of html-pages has shipped for CVE-2018-16481 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2018-16481 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2018-16481. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2018-16481 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2018-16481 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.