MEDIUM CVSS 6.1
Published: 2021-04-12

CVE-2021-3163

slab quill Security Advisory (CVE-2021-3163)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
Seeking technical exploit breakdowns or verified PoC code for CVE-2021-3163?
🔬 Search Writeups & Exploit Archive →

CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-3163 impacting slab quill. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.1 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
A vulnerability in the HTML editor of Slab Quill 4.8.0 allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript by storing an XSS payload (a crafted onloadstart attribute of an IMG element) in a text field. Note: Researchers have claimed that this issue is not within the product itself, but is intended behavior in a web browser

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
Low (C:L)
Partial information leakage
Integrity
Low (I:L)
Partial data modification possible
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product slab / quill
Affected Versions 4.8.0
Weakness Enumeration CWE-79

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-3163 impacting slab quill.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-3163.yaml
id: cve-2021-3163

info:
  name: slab quill - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-3163 affecting slab quill.
    Evaluation: A vulnerability in the HTML editor of Slab Quill 4.8.0 allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript by storing an XSS payload (a crafted onloads...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-3163
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
    cvss-score: 6.1
    cve-id: CVE-2021-3163
    cwe-id: CWE-79
  tags: cve,cve-2021-3163,slab,quill,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "quill"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-3163.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-3163
# Target: slab quill | CVSS: 6.1 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-3163 (slab quill)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against slab quill scope (4.8.0).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-3163.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-3163
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install quill 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade quill 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update quill

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i quill 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i quill

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-3163 in slab quill?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update slab quill packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-3163?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-3163?

CVE-2021-3163 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.1 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.1
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-3163
Weakness CWE-79
Vendor slab
Product quill
Published 2021-04-12
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N