GHSA-6xcx-gx7r-rccj
MEDIUMGHSA-6xcx-gx7r-rccj is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in scancodeio. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-6xcx-gx7r-rccj is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Scancode.io Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in license endpoint
Real-World Exposure
scancodeioReal-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
Summary
In the /license/ endpoint, the detailed view key is not properly validated and sanitized, which can result in a potential cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability when attempting to access a detailed license view that does not exist.
Details
In the /license/ endpoint, the license_details_view function is vulnerable to a potential cross-site scripting (XSS) attack due to inadequate validation and sanitization of the key parameter. This vulnerability arises when attempting to access a key with malicious javascript.
def license_details_view(request, key):
"""
Display all available information about a given license `key` followed by
the full license text.
"""
licenses = get_licenses()
try:
data = saneyaml.dump(licenses[key].to_dict())
text = licenses[key].text
except KeyError:
return HttpResponseNotFound(f"License {key} not found.") # Leads to cross-site scripting when key is malicious javascript
return HttpResponse(f"<pre>{data}</pre><hr><pre>{text}</pre>")
PoC
- Access following endpoint on scancode.io instance: http://localhost/license/%3Cscript%3Ealert(document.cookie);%3C/script%3E/
Impact
Attackers can exploit the vulnerability to inject malicious scripts into the response generated by the license_details_view function. When unsuspecting users visit the page, their browsers will execute the injected scripts, leading to unauthorized actions, session hijacking, or stealing sensitive information.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | scancodeio | all versions | 32.5.2 |
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 scancodeio. 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 scancodeio to 32.5.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-6xcx-gx7r-rccj 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-6xcx-gx7r-rccj 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-6xcx-gx7r-rccj. 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-6xcx-gx7r-rccj in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-6xcx-gx7r-rccj across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.