CVE-2026-33437
Received Received - Intake

Stored XSS in Stirling-PDF via PDF Metadata

Publication date: 2026-08-17

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
Stirling-PDF is a locally hosted web application that facilitates various operations on PDF files. Prior to 2.0.0, the Get Info workflow in app/core/src/main/resources/templates/security/get-info-on-pdf.html inserts untrusted PDF Title and Author metadata into the summary-text element with innerHTML, allowing a malicious PDF to execute stored cross-site scripting when a user clicks Get Info and to access browser-session data or modify page content. This issue is fixed in version 2.0.0.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-17
Last Modified
2026-08-17
Generated
2026-08-17
AI Q&A
2026-08-17
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-33437
EUVD
EUVD-2026-60320

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
stirling-tools stirling-pdf 2.0.0
stirling-tools stirling-pdf to 2.0.0 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-79 The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Stirling PDF versions 1.1.0 and earlier. When a malicious PDF with XSS payloads in its Title or Author metadata is uploaded, the untrusted metadata is inserted into the HTML DOM without sanitization. Clicking the Get Info button executes the payload in the user's browser.

Detection Guidance

Check if your Stirling-PDF instance is running a version earlier than 2.0.0. Use commands like 'curl -s http://localhost:8080/version' or inspect the web interface footer for version details. Look for PDFs with suspicious metadata in Title or Author fields that may contain XSS payloads.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could steal browser session data, access sensitive information, or modify page content. This requires user interaction (clicking Get Info) but no privileges or complex attack methods.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, such as session tokens or personal information, which may violate GDPR and HIPAA compliance requirements. The stored XSS attack could allow attackers to steal or manipulate data, potentially resulting in data breaches that require reporting under these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Stirling-PDF to version 2.0.0 or later immediately. If upgrading is not possible, restrict access to the application or disable the 'Get Info' feature until patched. Monitor network traffic for unusual PDF uploads or metadata changes.

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