The initial release of the "marked" package, version 0.0.1, marks the genesis of what would become a widely used and respected markdown parsing library. This foundational version, released in July 2011, laid the groundwork for converting Markdown-formatted text into HTML. Given the absence of information about a preceding stable release, we can surmise this was the very first public offering.
Developers considering the adoption of "marked" will find its humble beginnings interesting. While version 0.0.1 boasts a simple dependency structure (or rather, the absence of dependencies, potentially simplifying integration), and a foundational codebase, its primary value resides in its historical significance. As the inaugural iteration, it likely provides only the most rudimentary Markdown parsing capabilities. Developers would need to understand that this particular version served largely as a proof of concept. It provides a fast markdown parser, that would evolve over time into a more robust and feature-rich tool. It provides a great starting point to understand the project's architecture and its evolution. Modern versions of marked contains many more features. Developers are encouraged to evaluate more recent releases to gain access to significant improvements in performance, security patches, extended syntax support, and a richer set of options for customization.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 0.0.1 of the package
Multiple Content Injection Vulnerabilities in marked
Versions 0.3.0 and earlier of marked are affected by two cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, even when sanitize: true is set.
The attack vectors for this vulnerability are GFM Codeblocks and JavaScript URLs.
Upgrade to version 0.3.1 or later.
VBScript Content Injection in marked
Versions 0.3.2 and earlier of marked are affected by a cross-site scripting vulnerability even when sanitize:true is set.
[xss link](vbscript:alert(1))
will get a link
<a href="vbscript:alert(1)">xss link</a>
Update to version 0.3.3 or later.
Regular Expression Denial of Service in marked
Versions 0.3.3 and earlier of marked are affected by a regular expression denial of service ( ReDoS ) vulnerability when passed inputs that reach the em inline rule.
Update to version 0.3.4 or later.
Sanitization bypass using HTML Entities in marked
Affected versions of marked are susceptible to a cross-site scripting vulnerability in link components when sanitize:true is configured.
This flaw exists because link URIs containing HTML entities get processed in an abnormal manner. Any HTML Entities get parsed on a best-effort basis and included in the resulting link, while if that parsing fails that character is omitted.
For example:
A link URI such as
javascript֍ocument;alert(1)
Renders a valid link that when clicked will execute alert(1).
Update to version 0.3.6 or later.
Marked vulnerable to XSS from data URIs
marked version 0.3.6 and earlier is vulnerable to an XSS attack in the data: URI parser.
Regular Expression Denial of Service in marked
Affected versions of marked are vulnerable to a regular expression denial of service.
The amplification in this vulnerability is significant, with 1,000 characters resulting in the event loop being blocked for around 6 seconds.
Update to version 0.3.9 or later.
Marked allows Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) attacks
Marked prior to version 0.3.17 is vulnerable to a Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) attack due to catastrophic backtracking in several regular expressions used for parsing HTML tags and markdown links. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by providing specially crafted markdown input, such as deeply nested or repetitively structured brackets or tag attributes, which cause the parser to hang and lead to a Denial of Service.
Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in marked
What kind of vulnerability is it?
Denial of service.
The regular expression inline.reflinkSearch may cause catastrophic backtracking against some strings.
PoC is the following.
import * as marked from 'marked';
console.log(marked.parse(`[x]: x
\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](\\[\\](`));
Who is impacted?
Anyone who runs untrusted markdown through marked and does not use a worker with a time limit.
Has the problem been patched?
Yes
What versions should users upgrade to?
4.0.10
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
Do not run untrusted markdown through marked or run marked on a worker thread and set a reasonable time limit to prevent draining resources.
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in marked
What kind of vulnerability is it?
Denial of service.
The regular expression block.def may cause catastrophic backtracking against some strings.
PoC is the following.
import * as marked from "marked";
marked.parse(`[x]:${' '.repeat(1500)}x ${' '.repeat(1500)} x`);
Who is impacted?
Anyone who runs untrusted markdown through marked and does not use a worker with a time limit.
Has the problem been patched?
Yes
What versions should users upgrade to?
4.0.10
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
Do not run untrusted markdown through marked or run marked on a worker thread and set a reasonable time limit to prevent draining resources.
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: