CVE-2020-7750 in scratch-svg-renderer
Summary
by MITRE • 10/21/2020
This affects the package scratch-svg-renderer before 0.2.0-prerelease.20201019174008. The loadString function does not escape SVG properly, which can be used to inject arbitrary elements into the DOM via the _transformMeasurements function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7750 affects the scratch-svg-renderer package, specifically versions prior to 0.2.0-prerelease.20201019174008, representing a critical security flaw in how SVG content is processed within the application. This issue stems from improper handling of SVG string data during the loadString function execution, creating a potential attack vector for malicious code injection. The vulnerability manifests when the _transformMeasurements function processes SVG content without adequate sanitization or escaping mechanisms, allowing attackers to manipulate the DOM through crafted SVG inputs.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the SVG rendering pipeline. When the loadString function processes SVG data, it fails to properly sanitize user-supplied SVG content, particularly concerning elements that could be used for DOM manipulation. The _transformMeasurements function acts as the entry point where malicious SVG elements can be injected into the document object model, bypassing normal security boundaries. This represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability where SVG content serves as the attack medium rather than traditional HTML, leveraging the browser's SVG parsing capabilities to execute unintended operations within the application context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the application environment. An attacker could potentially inject malicious SVG elements that execute scripts, redirect users to phishing sites, or manipulate application behavior by altering the DOM structure. The vulnerability affects any application utilizing the scratch-svg-renderer package with vulnerable versions, making it particularly concerning for educational platforms, collaborative coding environments, or any system where SVG rendering is used for user-generated content processing. The attack surface is significant given that SVG content can be embedded in various file formats and can be dynamically loaded through web applications.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate version updates to the scratch-svg-renderer package to the patched version 0.2.0-prerelease.20201019174008 or later, which implements proper SVG escaping and input validation. Organizations should also implement additional layers of protection including content security policy headers, input sanitization routines, and regular security audits of third-party dependencies. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1203, representing exploitation of web applications for code injection. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems using affected versions and implement monitoring for suspicious SVG content patterns in user-generated data.