GHSA-5vgj-ggm4-fg62
HIGHpdoc embeds link to malicious CDN if math mode is enabled
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.
Blast Radius
pdocReal-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
Impact
Documentation generated with pdoc --math linked to JavaScript files from polyfill.io.
The polyfill.io CDN has been sold and now serves malicious code.
Users who produce documentation with math mode should update immediately. All other users are unaffected.
Patches
This issue has been fixed in pdoc 14.5.1.
References
https://github.com/mitmproxy/pdoc/pull/703 https://sansec.io/research/polyfill-supply-chain-attack
Timeline
- [2024-06-25] https://sansec.io/research/polyfill-supply-chain-attack is published.
- [2024-06-25 20:54 UTC] Issue reported to the pdoc project by @adhintz.
- [2024-06-25 21:33 UTC] Patched version released.
- [2024-06-25 21:37 UTC] Security advisory published.
- [2024-06-25 23:49 UTC] CVE-2024-38526 assigned by GitHub.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | pdoc | all versions | 14.5.1 |
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 pdoc. 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 pdoc to 14.5.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-5vgj-ggm4-fg62 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-5vgj-ggm4-fg62 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-5vgj-ggm4-fg62. 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-5vgj-ggm4-fg62 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-5vgj-ggm4-fg62 across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.