GHSA-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.8) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in @backstage/core-components. A fix is available for @backstage/core-components — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Cross site scripting Vulnerability in backstage Software Catalog
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv.
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-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv 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 377,166 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.
@backstage/core-componentsnpm@backstage/catalog-modelnpm@backstage/plugin-catalog-backendnpmDescription
Impact
This vulnerability allows a malicious actor with access to add or modify content in an instance of the Backstage software catalog to inject script URLs in the entities stored in the catalog. If users of the catalog then click on said URLs, that can lead to an XSS attack.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in both the frontend and backend implementations. The default Link component from @backstage/core-components will now reject javascript: URLs, and there is a global override of window.open to do the same.
In addition the catalog model as well as the catalog backend now has additional validation built in that prevents javascript: URLs in known annotations.
Workarounds
The general practice of limiting access to modifying catalog content and requiring code reviews greatly helps mitigate this vulnerability.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the Backstage repository
- Visit our chat, linked to in the Backstage README
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @backstage/core-components | all versions | 0.12.4npm install @backstage/core-components@0.12.4 |
| 📦npm | @backstage/catalog-model | all versions | 1.2.0npm install @backstage/catalog-model@1.2.0 |
| 📦npm | @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend | all versions | 1.7.2npm install @backstage/plugin-catalog-backend@1.7.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @backstage/core-components, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update @backstage/core-components to 0.12.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv 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-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv. 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-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-7hv8-3fr9-j2hv across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.