security

The Ticking Time Bomb: Unpacking the Security Risks of AngularJS, Bootstrap, and jQuery

James

Aug 1, 2025 • 4 min read

Applications built on the once-ubiquitous trio of AngularJS 1.x, Bootstrap 3, and jQuery are sitting on a security precipice. With official support and security patches for these versions long since sunsetted, businesses and developers are exposed to a growing number of unpatched vulnerabilities, leaving their systems and users ripe for exploitation.

The core of the problem lies in the end-of-life (EOL) status of these foundational web development tools. AngularJS 1.x reached its EOL on December 31, 2021. Similarly, Bootstrap 3 has been unsupported since July 2019, and while jQuery is still actively developed, older versions are no longer maintained. This means that any new security flaws discovered in these legacy versions will remain unaddressed by their original creators, creating a permanent window of opportunity for attackers.

AngularJS 1.x: A Playground for Attackers

AngularJS 1.x, in particular, presents a significant attack surface. Its architecture, especially the powerful and flexible nature of its two-way data binding and expression evaluation, has been a source of numerous security headaches.
Key vulnerabilities include:

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): This is the most critical and prevalent risk in AngularJS 1.x. Attackers can inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The framework's $sce (Strict Contextual Escaping) service was introduced to mitigate this, but improper use or bypassing it can easily lead to XSS. Sandbox bypass vulnerabilities have also been discovered and patched in the past, but with no new patches, any newly found bypasses will leave applications vulnerable.
Template Injection: AngularJS templates are powerful, and if an attacker can control any part of a template, they can execute arbitrary JavaScript. This is a significant risk, especially in applications that dynamically generate templates based on user input.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): While AngularJS has built-in CSRF protection mechanisms, they require proper server-side implementation. Misconfiguration or a lack of server-side validation can render these protections useless.

Bootstrap 3: Outdated and Exposed

Bootstrap 3, while primarily a CSS framework, is not immune to security vulnerabilities, especially in its JavaScript components.

The most significant risks associated with using this outdated version include:

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in JavaScript Components: Several XSS vulnerabilities have been discovered in Bootstrap 3's JavaScript plugins, such as the tooltip and popover components. These flaws allow attackers to inject malicious code through data attributes. For instance, CVE-2019-8331 highlighted an XSS vulnerability in the data-template attribute of tooltips and popovers.
Dependency on Outdated jQuery: Bootstrap 3 relies on older versions of jQuery, which themselves have a host of un-patched vulnerabilities. This creates a chain of risk, where a vulnerability in the underlying dependency can compromise the entire application.

jQuery: A Legacy of Vulnerabilities

jQuery, being one of the most widely used JavaScript libraries in history, has a long list of documented vulnerabilities in its older versions. Relying on an outdated version of jQuery, as many AngularJS 1.x and Bootstrap 3 applications do, exposes a project to:

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Numerous XSS vulnerabilities have been patched in newer jQuery versions. Older versions are susceptible to attacks where malicious input can be executed as code when manipulated with certain jQuery functions. CVE-2020-11022 and CVE-2020-11023 are notable examples of XSS flaws in versions prior to 3.5.0.
Prototype Pollution: This is a serious vulnerability where an attacker can modify the Object.prototype. This can lead to a variety of other security issues, including the bypass of security controls and denial of service. CVE-2019-11358 is a well-known prototype pollution vulnerability in jQuery versions before 3.4.0.
Denial of Service (DoS): Certain vulnerabilities in older jQuery versions could allow an attacker to crash a user's browser or cause the application to become unresponsive.

The Unseen Danger: Lack of Security Patches

Beyond the specific, documented vulnerabilities, the most significant risk is the absence of ongoing security support. The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, with new attack techniques and vulnerabilities being discovered daily. Without a dedicated team actively monitoring and patching these legacy libraries, applications built upon them are defenceless against these emerging threats.

Mitigation Strategies: A Necessary Evolution

For organizations still running applications on this outdated stack, the primary recommendation is to migrate to a modern, supported framework. Newer versions of Angular, React, or Vue.js offer more robust security features and active communities that promptly address vulnerabilities.
For those unable to undertake an immediate, full-scale migration, other options include:

Upgrading to the latest minor versions: While not a complete solution, ensuring you are on the absolute latest available point release of AngularJS 1.x, Bootstrap 3, and a more recent, secure version of jQuery can mitigate some known vulnerabilities.
Extended Long-Term Support (ELTS): Several third-party vendors offer commercial ELTS for AngularJS, providing security patches for a fee. This can be a stop-gap measure to keep applications secure while planning a longer-term migration strategy.
Thorough Security Audits and Penetration Testing: Regularly engaging security professionals to audit the application can help identify and mitigate vulnerabilities specific to the codebase and its dependencies.
Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can provide a layer of protection by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between the application and the internet, potentially blocking common attacks.

In conclusion, while AngularJS 1.x, Bootstrap 3, and older versions of jQuery were instrumental in shaping the modern web, their time has passed. Continuing to build and maintain applications on this unsupported foundation is a significant and unnecessary security risk. The question for businesses is not if a vulnerability will be exploited, but when. Proactive migration and modernisation are the only truly effective long - term solutions.