Read the Docs vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)GHSA-98pf-gfh3-x3mp
Fix: readthedocs/readthedocs.org@b0ae626GHSA-98pf-gfh3-x3mp is a security vulnerability in readthedocs. A fix is available for readthedocs — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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.
readthedocsnpmDescription
Impact
This vulnerability allowed a malicious user to serve arbitrary HTML files from the main application domain (readthedocs[.]org/readthedocs[.]com) by exploiting a vulnerability in the code that serves downloadable content from a project.
Exploiting this would have required the attacker to get a logged-in user to visit the malicious URL, which would have allowed the attacker to take control of the user's session with JavaScript (making requests to the API/site on behalf of the user). This URL would have looked something like hxxps[:]//readthedocs[.]org/projects/attacker-project/downloads/html/version-with-javascript-attack/.
Patches
This issue has been patched in our 8.8.1 release.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | readthedocs | all versions | 8.8.1npm install readthedocs@8.8.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for readthedocs, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update readthedocs to 8.8.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-98pf-gfh3-x3mp 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-98pf-gfh3-x3mp in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.