GHSA-q42j-x8rq-pjg6
GHSA-q42j-x8rq-pjg6 is a Improper Input Validation vulnerability in cordova-plugin-inappbrowser. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-q42j-x8rq-pjg6 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Cordova Plugin InAppBrowser: iOS: Arbitrary Cordova callback IDs can be dispatched without validation from InAppBrowser WebViews.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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-q42j-x8rq-pjg6.
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.
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.
cordova-plugin-inappbrowsernpmDescription
Summary
The iOS implementation of cordova-plugin-inappbrowser passes the id field from a WKScriptMessage body to commandDelegate sendPluginResult:callbackId: with no format validation (CDVWKInAppBrowser.m:560–574). Any web content loaded inside the InAppBrowser can fire any pending Cordova callback in the host app by posting a message whose id field is a guessable or enumerated callback identifier. An attack abusing this weakness must be tailored to the specific plugins and callback IDs the host app uses. Though an attacker with knowledge of common Cordova plugin configurations could craft reusable payloads targeting widely-adopted plugins.
Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker who controls content displayed in the InAppBrowser — via a URL the app opens (OAuth redirect, marketing link, deep-link target) or a network interception — can call window.webkit.messageHandlers.cordova_iab.postMessage({id: '<victim-callback-id>', d: '...'}) to fire callbacks belonging to any other installed Cordova plugin (Camera, Contacts, File, Geolocation). Cordova callback IDs follow the predictable format <PluginName><sequential-integer>, making enumeration feasible. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to spoof plugin results across trust boundaries — for example, injecting a forged camera approval, a fabricated contacts list, or a crafted file-read response.
This issue affects Cordova Plugin InAppBrowser: from 3.1.0 through 6.0.0.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 6.0.1, which fixes the issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | cordova-plugin-inappbrowser | all versions | 6.0.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for cordova-plugin-inappbrowser. 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 cordova-plugin-inappbrowser to 6.0.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q42j-x8rq-pjg6 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-q42j-x8rq-pjg6 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-q42j-x8rq-pjg6. 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-q42j-x8rq-pjg6 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-q42j-x8rq-pjg6 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.