`CVE-2021-41165`

8.2 High No fix identified

Description

CKEditor4 is an open source WYSIWYG HTML editor. In affected version a vulnerability has been discovered in the core HTML processing module and may affect all plugins used by CKEditor 4. The vulnerability allowed to inject malformed comments HTML bypassing content sanitization, which could result in executing JavaScript code. It affects all users using the CKEditor 4 at version < 4.17.0. The problem has been recognized and patched. The fix will be available in version 4.17.0.

CWE-79 · Cross-site scripting

Exploitation Status

No public exploit

Nothing published shows this CVE being exploited, which is not the same as ruling it out. nothing published in 4 years.

CVSS E:U

CISA KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment no assessment published
Indexed PoC none indexed
EPSS 1.6% chance in 30 days

Waratek Defense Posture

No fix identified

In RASP's scope, but nothing published names a fix and nothing published shows an exploit. Neither of the two things VRT can act on exists, which is a claim about the available evidence, not about the vulnerability.

Protection none
Action not-needed
Review automated upstream-data
Record active

Decided by no-exploit : With no fix path, a public exploit, or a CISA record of one

Finding Resolved from QUEUED-FOR-REVIEW: this CVE affects a known product, but nothing published names a fix and nothing published shows an exploit. That is a statement about the evidence, not about the defect — it does not mean the vulnerability is unimportant or unreachable, only that neither of the two things VRT can act on exists.

Decided by	`no-exploit` : With no fix path, a public exploit, or a CISA record of one
Finding	Resolved from QUEUED-FOR-REVIEW: this CVE affects a known product, but nothing published names a fix and nothing published shows an exploit. That is a statement about the evidence, not about the defect — it does not mean the vulnerability is unimportant or unreachable, only that neither of the two things VRT can act on exists.

CVSS

8.2 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L 3 metrics

VRT selects the newest version's highest entry and publishes it as cvssScore, newest rather than largest because scores are not comparable across versions, and highest rather than first because the first entry is frequently a CNA placeholder scoring 0.0 over NVD's own analysis.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 8.2 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L security-advisories@github.com Secondary published

CVSS 3.1 5.4 MEDIUM CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N NVD Primary

CVSS 2.0 3.5 no band published AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	8.2	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L`	security-advisories@github.com	Secondary	published
CVSS 3.1	5.4	MEDIUM	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`	NVD	Primary
CVSS 2.0	3.5	no band published	`AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N`	NVD	Primary

Affected Software & Releases

🏛️ Oracle CPU Advisories & Products

Advisory	Type	Quarter	Products Oracle named in risk matrix
Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2023 ↗	CPU	2023-Q4	Oracle Financial Services Applications / UI (CKEditor) (2.7)
Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022 ↗	CPU	2022-Q2	Oracle Commerce / Content Acquisition System (CKEditor) (11.3.2) Oracle Database Server / Oracle Application Express (CKEditor) (Prior to 22.1) Oracle Fusion Middleware / Security Framework (CKEditor) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0) Oracle PeopleSoft / Rich Text Editor (CKEditor) (8.58, 8.59) Oracle Supply Chain / Security (CKEditor) (9.3.6)
Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2022 ↗	CPU	2022-Q1	Oracle Financial Services Applications / Framework (CKEditor) (18.1-18.3, 19.1, 19.2, 20.1, 21.1) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Framework (CKEditor) (18.1-18.3, 19.1, 19.2, 20.1, 21.1)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle named in risk matrix

Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2023 ↗

CPU

2023-Q4

Oracle Financial Services Applications / UI (CKEditor) (2.7)

Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022 ↗

CPU

2022-Q2

Oracle Commerce / Content Acquisition System (CKEditor) (11.3.2)
Oracle Database Server / Oracle Application Express (CKEditor) (Prior to 22.1)
Oracle Fusion Middleware / Security Framework (CKEditor) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0)
Oracle PeopleSoft / Rich Text Editor (CKEditor) (8.58, 8.59)
Oracle Supply Chain / Security (CKEditor) (9.3.6)

Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2022 ↗

CPU

2022-Q1

Oracle Financial Services Applications / Framework (CKEditor) (18.1-18.3, 19.1, 19.2, 20.1, 21.1)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Framework (CKEditor) (18.1-18.3, 19.1, 19.2, 20.1, 21.1)

Indexed Oracle Components & Versions

Family	Component	Oracle's version cell (verbatim)	Indexed as
Oracle Commerce	Content Acquisition System (CKEditor)	11.3.2	11.3.2
Oracle Database Server	Oracle Application Express (CKEditor)	Prior to 22.1
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Framework (CKEditor)	18.1-18.3, 19.1, 19.2, 20.1, 21.1	19.1 · 19.2 · 20.1 · 21.1
Oracle Financial Services Applications	UI (CKEditor)	2.7	2.7
Oracle Fusion Middleware	Security Framework (CKEditor)	12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0	12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0
Oracle PeopleSoft	Rich Text Editor (CKEditor)	8.58, 8.59	8.58 · 8.59
Oracle Supply Chain	Security (CKEditor)	9.3.6	9.3.6

Family

Component

Oracle's version cell (verbatim)

Indexed as

Oracle Commerce

Content Acquisition System (CKEditor)

11.3.2

Oracle Database Server

Oracle Application Express (CKEditor)

Prior to 22.1

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Framework (CKEditor)

18.1-18.3, 19.1, 19.2, 20.1, 21.1

19.1 · 19.2 · 20.1 · 21.1

Oracle Financial Services Applications

UI (CKEditor)

2.7

Oracle Fusion Middleware

Security Framework (CKEditor)

12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0

12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

Oracle PeopleSoft

Rich Text Editor (CKEditor)

8.58, 8.59

8.58 · 8.59

Oracle Supply Chain

Security (CKEditor)

9.3.6

🖥️ Product CPEs & Version Ranges

9 product(s) over 21 version claims (uncapped)

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected Versions
nvd	ckeditor	ckeditor	generic	＜ 4.17.0
nvd	drupal	drupal	generic	≥ 8.9.0 and ＜ 8.9.20 · ≥ 9.1.0 and ＜ 9.1.14 · ≥ 9.2.0 and ＜ 9.2.9
nvd	oracle	agile product lifecycle management	generic	9.3.6
nvd	oracle	application express	generic	＜ 22.1
nvd	oracle	banking apis	generic	≥ 18.1 and ≤ 18.3 · 19.1 · 19.2 · 20.1 · 21.1
nvd	oracle	banking digital experience	generic	≥ 18.1 and ≤ 18.3 · 19.1 · 19.2 · 20.1 · 21.1
nvd	oracle	commerce guided search	generic	11.3.2
nvd	oracle	peoplesoft enterprise peopletools	generic	8.58 · 8.59
nvd	oracle	webcenter portal	generic	12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected Versions

nvd

ckeditor

generic

＜ 4.17.0

nvd

drupal

generic

≥ 8.9.0 and ＜ 8.9.20 · ≥ 9.1.0 and ＜ 9.1.14 · ≥ 9.2.0 and ＜ 9.2.9

nvd

oracle

agile product lifecycle management

generic

9.3.6

nvd

oracle

application express

generic

＜ 22.1

nvd

oracle

banking apis

generic

≥ 18.1 and ≤ 18.3 · 19.1 · 19.2 · 20.1 · 21.1

nvd

oracle

banking digital experience

generic

≥ 18.1 and ≤ 18.3 · 19.1 · 19.2 · 20.1 · 21.1

nvd

oracle

commerce guided search

generic

11.3.2

nvd

oracle

peoplesoft enterprise peopletools

generic

8.58 · 8.59

nvd

oracle

webcenter portal

generic

12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/blob/major/CHANGES.md#ckeditor-417	Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/security/advisories/GHSA-7h26-63m7-qhf2	Third Party Advisory
https://www.drupal.org/sa-core-2021-011	Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html	Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.html	Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html	Not Applicable

URL

Timeline

Published 2021-11-17 Last modified 2026-06-17

Published	2021-11-17	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2021-11-17

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-06-17

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Pipeline policy audit (17 of 21 rules evaluated)

17 of 21 rules ran. The rest were never reached, because an earlier stage settled the CVE, a distinct claim from a rule that ran and found nothing.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? first match wins

1 rejected no-match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is the vulnerability ARMR's to address? first match wins

2 armr-patch-file no-match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no-match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no-match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification no-match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no-match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no-match The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in. Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 osv-maven no-match An OSV.dev record of this CVE affecting a package published to Maven Central

9 cna-maven-package no-match An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

10 known-cpe-product matched Queued for review Matches known products: oracle/agile_product_lifecycle_management, oracle/application_express, oracle/banking_apis, oracle/banking_digital_experience, oracle/commerce_guided_search, oracle/peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools, oracle/webcenter_portal

11 cna-cpe-product not-reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

12 oracle-advisory-family not-reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

13 non-deployable-product not-reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

14 unmatched-product not-reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? cumulative: every rule gets a turn

15 patch-hint no-match A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

16 open-source-maven no-match The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

17 poc-derivable no-match An indexed exploit to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

18 no-exploit decided it matched No fix identified No public exploits or POCs found in Exploit-DB, Nuclei templates, or GitHub POC repositories, and CISA's Vulnrichment assessment records no demonstrated exploit. No upstream fix reference or open-source Maven package was found either, so there is nothing to act on from either direction.

19 secure-rule-match no-match A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

20 below-action-threshold skipped Medium or Low severity, no KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

21 no-exploit-published skipped A published working exploit for this candidate, not only a proof of concept, a forecast, or nothing at all

What the scope rules read

The products the record named, and whether known-products.yaml tracks them. This is the evidence the scope stage decided on.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

ckeditor ckeditor not tracked cpe:2.3:a:ckeditor:ckeditor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

drupal drupal not tracked cpe:2.3:a:drupal:drupal:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

oracle agile_product_lifecycle_management tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:agile_product_lifecycle_management:9.3.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle application_express tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:application_express:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle banking_apis tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_apis:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle banking_digital_experience tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_digital_experience:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle commerce_guided_search tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:commerce_guided_search:11.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools:8.58:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle webcenter_portal tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:webcenter_portal:12.2.1.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

Raw stored JSON document for this CVE ↗ · NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗