CVE-2021-38623: Webcoast/deferred image processing Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-34jq-548x-m2x9
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-404
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-38623 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release) affecting Webcoast/deferred image processing libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves improper resource shutdown or release in typo3 extension. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.0.2.

CVE-2021-38623 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-38623
GHSA Identifier GHSA-34jq-548x-m2x9
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release
Affected Product Webcoast/deferred image processing
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-38623

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Webcoast/deferred image processing dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

webcoast/deferred-image-processing fixed: 1.0.2 
Upgrade webcoast/deferred-image-processing to 1.0.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for webcoast/deferred-image-processing

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-38623, inspect your project dependencies for Webcoast/deferred image processing:

inspect dependencies for webcoast/deferred-image-processing

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Webcoast/deferred image processing in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.0.2), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release, where the product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use. In Webcoast/deferred image processing, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Wrong usage of the TYPO3 FAL API results in copies of processed files being saved to the /var/transient/ folder of a TYPO3 website on every frontend request. This can result in Denial of Service, since the webspace may be filled up with image files simply by crafting a large amount of requests to the website.

CVE-2021-38623 Affected Webcoast/deferred image processing Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.0.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
webcoast/deferred-image-processing
 Packagist
< 1.0.2
1.0.2

References

NVD — CVE-2021-38623 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38623
Webcoast/deferred image processing Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/webcoast-dk/deferred-image-processing
Webcoast/deferred image processing Security Information SECURITY
https://typo3.org/security/advisory/typo3-ext-sa-2021-009

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-38623?
CVE-2021-38623 is a security vulnerability in Webcoast/deferred image processing involving Improper Resource Shutdown or Release in TYPO3 extension under CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release.
Which Webcoast/deferred image processing versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.0.2 across affected packages: webcoast/deferred-image-processing.
What version fixes CVE-2021-38623?
Upgrading to 1.0.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is webcoast/deferred-image-processing affected?
Yes, webcoast/deferred-image-processing is affected in releases prior to 1.0.2. Upgrade your dependency to 1.0.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-38623?
CVE-2021-38623 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-38623?
CVE-2021-38623 is classified under CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release (The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-38623?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for webcoast/deferred-image-processing'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-34jq-548x-m2x9",
  "modified" : "2021-08-30T17:19:44Z",
  "published" : "2021-08-30T17:22:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-38623" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Resource Shutdown or Release in TYPO3 extension",
  "details" : "Wrong usage of the TYPO3 FAL API results in copies of processed files being saved to the /var/transient/ folder of a TYPO3 website on every frontend request. This  can result in Denial of Service, since the webspace may be filled up with image files simply by crafting a large amount of requests to the website.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:F/RL:O/RC:C"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "webcoast/deferred-image-processing"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38623"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/webcoast-dk/deferred-image-processing"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://typo3.org/security/advisory/typo3-ext-sa-2021-009"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-404" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-08-30T17:19:44Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-08-13T17:15:00Z"
  }
}