CVE-2024-7739 in vscode-markdown-pdf
Summary
by MITRE • 08/13/2024
A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in yzane vscode-markdown-pdf 1.5.0. This affects an unknown part. The manipulation leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2025
CVE-2024-7739 represents a cross site scripting vulnerability within the vscode-markdown-pdf extension version 1.5.0 developed by yzane. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross Site Scripting, which is a critical web application security flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability exists in an unknown part of the extension's codebase, making it particularly concerning as the attack surface remains unspecified. The issue is classified as remotely exploitable, meaning that malicious actors can initiate attacks without requiring physical access to the target system or direct user interaction beyond visiting a compromised webpage or document. This remote exploit capability significantly increases the potential attack surface and risk exposure for users who rely on the extension for converting markdown documents to pdf format. The public disclosure of the exploit means that threat actors can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts against unsuspecting users who have the vulnerable extension installed in their visual studio code environments. The nature of the vulnerability suggests that the extension fails to properly sanitize or escape user input when processing markdown content that may contain embedded scripts or malicious code. When users open markdown files containing crafted malicious content through the vscode-markdown-pdf extension, the extension processes this content without adequate security controls, allowing the injected scripts to execute in the context of the user's browser or integrated development environment. This creates a potential pathway for attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise as the vulnerability could be exploited in supply chain attacks or targeted campaigns against developers who use this extension in their workflow. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental lack of input validation and output encoding controls within the extension's processing pipeline, which is a common pattern in web application security flaws. Organizations and developers should immediately assess their use of this extension and implement mitigation strategies including updating to patched versions, implementing network segmentation, or removing the extension from critical development environments. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and input sanitization in extension development for integrated development environments, where the attack surface can be expanded through third-party plugins and extensions. Security professionals should monitor for additional related vulnerabilities in similar markdown processing extensions and ensure that proper security controls are in place to prevent similar issues in other development tools and environments.
The exploitation of CVE-2024-7739 aligns with ATT&CK technique T1211 which involves the exploitation of vulnerabilities in development tools and integrated environments. This vulnerability specifically targets the visual studio code ecosystem and represents a growing concern in the security of development tooling and extensions. The issue underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of plugins and extensions before deployment in enterprise environments. Organizations should implement strict policies regarding third-party extension installation and maintain regular audits of installed extensions to identify potentially vulnerable components. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of secure development lifecycle practices and the need for proper threat modeling when developing tools that process user-generated content. The disclosure of this exploit means that security researchers and threat actors alike have access to the vulnerability details, making immediate remediation critical for protecting user environments. This incident serves as a reminder of the security risks associated with the increasing complexity of development environments and the interconnected nature of modern software development tools.