GHSA-4vwq-x64q-j4cj is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in notebook. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-4vwq-x64q-j4cj is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation in Jupyter Notebook
Real-World Exposure
notebook🐍ipythonReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the file browser in notebook/notebookapp.py in IPython Notebook before 3.2.2 and Jupyter Notebook 4.0.x before 4.0.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a folder name. NOTE: this was originally reported as a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability, but this may be inaccurate.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | notebook | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.0.5 | 4.0.5 |
| 🐍PyPI | ipython | all versions | 3.2.2 |
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 notebook. 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.
Fix
Update notebook to 4.0.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4vwq-x64q-j4cj is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
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 GHSA-4vwq-x64q-j4cj 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 GHSA-4vwq-x64q-j4cj. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-4vwq-x64q-j4cj in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-4vwq-x64q-j4cj across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.