Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Highcharts before version 9 could let unsafe chart configuration content run script in a user's browser. The business risk is highest where charts display data or labels influenced by customers, partners, or internal users. The vendor states version 9 patches the issue.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority web application dependency issue where Highcharts handles untrusted or shared data. It is not KEV-listed in the provided evidence, but browser script execution can affect user trust, data integrity, and session security.
Technical view
CVE-2021-29489 is a CWE-79 XSS flaw in Highcharts versions below 9.0.0. The chart options structure was not systematically filtered for XSS vectors, so untrusted content passed into options could execute in the end user's browser. The listed workaround is recursive DOMPurify filtering of the options structure.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely in web applications or embedded products using Highcharts 8 or earlier, especially when chart options, labels, titles, tooltips, or data-derived content come from untrusted sources. Static charts with fully trusted option objects are lower risk but still should be upgraded.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not state active exploitation, and this CVE is not marked KEV. The CVSS vector indicates network reachability, low attack complexity, and privileges required. Evidence supports potential browser-side code execution when an attacker can influence chart options.
Researcher notes
Focus review on option object construction and trust boundaries rather than only visible chart data. The key evidence is vendor-confirmed incomplete XSS filtering before Highcharts 9 and a named DOMPurify workaround for organizations unable to upgrade.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Highcharts to version 9.0.0 or later.
- If upgrade is blocked, recursively sanitize chart options with DOMPurify.
- Remove untrusted markup from chart option inputs before rendering.
- Check downstream vendor advisories for embedded Highcharts exposure.
- Prioritize externally reachable applications and multi-user dashboards.
Validation and detection
- Inventory package manifests and bundled assets for Highcharts below 9.0.0.
- Trace whether chart options include user, CMS, API, or database-controlled content.
- Confirm deployed assets match the remediated Highcharts version.
- Review downstream products against vendor advisories, including NetApp guidance.
- Add regression tests covering sanitized chart option rendering.
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-2021-29489 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L2.84.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.6HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/highcharts/highcharts/security/advisories/GHSA-8j65-4pcq-xq95CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210622-0005/CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
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.