Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2013-4170 is a cross-site scripting issue in older Ember.js ember-source releases. It matters only when an application puts user-controlled data into an Ember.View tagName. In that case, a crafted value could run JavaScript in the current site’s domain.
Executive priority
Treat this as a focused legacy application risk. It is not reported as actively exploited in the provided sources, but affected internet-facing apps with dynamic tagName handling can expose users and sessions to XSS.
Technical view
Ember.js normally escapes or strips user content before innerHTML insertion, but Ember.View tagName was inserted without sanitization. Affected package data lists ember-source versions before 1.0.0.rc1.1. The weakness is CWE-79 and depends on application code assigning or binding user-provided content to tagName.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in legacy Ember applications using ember-source before 1.0.0.rc1.1 and dynamic Ember.View tagName values derived from users, requests, profiles, CMS content, or API data.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not cite active exploitation, and this CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires a vulnerable coding pattern, not merely having Ember installed. Successful exploitation could execute JavaScript in the affected site’s browser context.
Researcher notes
The key condition is application-level data flow into Ember.View tagName. Version presence alone is insufficient for exploitability. Validate both package version and whether untrusted data can influence tagName before assigning remediation urgency.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory ember-source versions and identify releases before 1.0.0.rc1.1.
- Check Ember and package advisory guidance for the supported fixed version.
- Remove user-controlled assignments or bindings to Ember.View tagName.
- Use fixed, developer-controlled tagName values wherever possible.
- Retire or isolate legacy Ember code that cannot be upgraded.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether ember-source before 1.0.0.rc1.1 exists in production dependencies.
- Search code for Ember.View tagName assignments and bindings.
- Trace tagName values back to user, request, CMS, or API inputs.
- Review browser-rendered pages that use dynamic views for unexpected script execution risk.
- Document any compensating controls if upgrade is delayed.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2013-4170 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://rubysec.com/advisories/CVE-2013-4170/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-RUBY-EMBERSOURCE-20102CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://groups.google.com/g/ember-security/c/dokLVwwxAdMCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.