Highcharts Dashboards: Cross-Site Scripting in edit-mode sidebar labels
Summary
Highcharts Dashboards from 1.0.0 before 4.2.3 parses component language strings in the edit-mode sidebar as HTML instead of plain text. An attacker who can write the Dashboards language configuration can inject markup with event handlers that run in the origin of the hosting page when a user opens the edit-mode sidebar. Successful exploitation can expose session data and allow actions in the application, while availability is not affected.
Affected
- @highcharts/dashboards (npm): versions 1.0.0 up to but not including 4.2.3
- The CNA record also lists the core highcharts package below 13.0.0-beta.2; the vendor advisory does not confirm this, so the scope is unverified.
Fixed in
- @highcharts/dashboards 4.2.3 (vendor fix, commit e65f8c2)
Workaround
- No vendor workaround documented. Unknown whether an interim mitigation exists.
- Until the update is installed, limit edit mode and dashboard language/configuration changes to trusted administrators.
Exploitation
- No confirmed exploitation in the wild found. Not verified against CISA KEV.
- CISA SSVC: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total.
- Public proof-of-concept status: unknown, not verified.
- EPSS: 0.42% (percentile 36).
Our recommendation
- Inventory all sites and applications using @highcharts/dashboards (npm or CDN) and check their versions.
- Upgrade to 4.2.3 or later; this also covers CVE-2026-118253.
- Restrict who can edit dashboard language and component configuration until the upgrade is complete.
- Check whether Highcharts Core (CVE-2026-118246) is also in use and update it if so.
- Re-check exploit status (CISA KEV, vendor advisory) in the coming days.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-rcqf-f6h2-ccg9 github.com
- Highcharts Dashboards release 4.2.3 github.com
- Fix commit e65f8c2 github.com
- GitLab Advisory Database entry CVE-2026-118252 advisories.gitlab.com
- OSV GHSA-rcqf-f6h2-ccg9 osv.dev
- Highcharts Dashboards edit mode documentation highcharts.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 1 Nov 2026, 11:54.
Original description (NVD)
Highcharts JS is a JavaScript charting library based on SVG. From 1.0.0 until 4.2.3, Highcharts Dashboards edit-mode sidebar parses component language strings as HTML rather than inserting them as text. An attacker who controls the Dashboards language configuration can provide markup containing event handlers, which execute in the hosting page origin when a user opens the edit-mode sidebar and the affected labels render. This issue is fixed in 4.2.3.
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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