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CVE-2019-16172

Status: ModifiedMedium (5.4)—💥 Exploit

LimeSurvey before v3.17.14 allows stored XSS for escalating privileges from a low-privileged account to, for example, SuperAdmin. The attack uses a survey group in which the title contains JavaScript that is mishandled upon group deletion.

CVSS

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

💥 Public exploits

Exploit code or detection templates are publicly available. This is not the same as confirmed active exploitation (KEV), but it raises the risk: patch with priority.

⚠️ GitHub proofs of concept are not verified: some are fake or contain malware. Never run them outside an isolated lab.

Affected technologies (1)

Limesurvey — Limesurvey

CWEs

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show
{
  "id": "CVE-2019-16172",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV2": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "2.0",
          "baseScore": 3.5,
          "accessVector": "NETWORK",
          "vectorString": "AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N",
          "authentication": "SINGLE",
          "integrityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "accessComplexity": "MEDIUM",
          "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 2.9,
        "baseSeverity": "LOW",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
        "exploitabilityScore": 6.8,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": true
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "CHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 5.4,
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N",
          "integrityImpact": "LOW",
          "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "confidentialityImpact": "LOW"
        },
        "impactScore": 2.7,
        "exploitabilityScore": 2.3
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "cve@mitre.org",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "product": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "n/a"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2019-09-09T19:15:11.190",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154479/LimeSurvey-3.17.13-Cross-Site-Scripting.html",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "VDB Entry"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Sep/22",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Mailing List",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey/commit/32d6a5224327b246ee3a2a08500544e4f80f9a9a",
      "tags": [
        "Patch"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Sep/27",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Mailing List",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.limesurvey.org/limesurvey-updates/2188-limesurvey-3-17-14-build-190902-released",
      "tags": [
        "Broken Link"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/154479/LimeSurvey-3.17.13-Cross-Site-Scripting.html",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "VDB Entry"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Sep/22",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Mailing List",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey/commit/32d6a5224327b246ee3a2a08500544e4f80f9a9a",
      "tags": [
        "Patch"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Sep/27",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Mailing List",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.limesurvey.org/limesurvey-updates/2188-limesurvey-3-17-14-build-190902-released",
      "tags": [
        "Broken Link"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-79"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "LimeSurvey before v3.17.14 allows stored XSS for escalating privileges from a low-privileged account to, for example, SuperAdmin. The attack uses a survey group in which the title contains JavaScript that is mishandled upon group deletion."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "LimeSurvey versiones anteriores a v3.17.14, permite un ataque de tipo XSS almacenado para escalar los privilegios desde una cuenta con pocos privilegios para, por ejemplo, SuperAdmin. El ataque utiliza un grupo de encuesta en el que el título contiene JavaScript que es manejado inapropiadamente tras eliminar el grupo."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-17T02:21:49.303",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:limesurvey:limesurvey:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "84F3FE51-7F29-4A18-B111-278E2DBCD753",
              "versionEndExcluding": "3.17.4"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}