CVE-2021-29469: Redis Node-Redis Potential Exponential Regex Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-35q2-47q7-3pc3
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-29469 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) node-redis potential exponential regex vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Redis libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves node-redis potential exponential regex in monitor mode. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.1.

CVE-2021-29469 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-29469
GHSA Identifier GHSA-35q2-47q7-3pc3
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Redis
Package Ecosystem npm
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).

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-2021-29469

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

redis fixed: 3.1.1 
npm install redis@3.1.1
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

npm ls redis

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-29469, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls redis

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Redis in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.1.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls redis command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Redis, 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

### Impact When a client is in monitoring mode, the regex begin used to detected monitor messages could cause exponential backtracking on some strings. This issue could lead to a denial of service. ### Patches The problem was fixed in commit [`2d11b6d`](https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/commit/2d11b6dc9b9774464a91fb4b448bad8bf699629e) and was released in version `3.1.1`. ### References #1569 (GHSL-2021-026)

CVE-2021-29469 Affected Redis Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.1.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
redis
npm/redis
npm
≥ 2.6.0
< 3.1.1
3.1.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/security/advisories/GHSA-35q2-47q7-3pc3
NVD — CVE-2021-29469 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29469
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/commit/2d11b6dc9b9774464a91fb4b448bad8bf699629e
Redis Release RELEASE
https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/releases/tag/v3.1.1
Redis Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210611-0010

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-29469?
CVE-2021-29469 is a security vulnerability in Redis involving Node-Redis potential exponential regex in monitor mode under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Redis versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.1 across affected packages: redis.
What version fixes CVE-2021-29469?
Upgrading to 3.1.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is redis affected?
Yes, redis is affected in releases prior to 3.1.1. Upgrade your dependency to 3.1.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-29469?
CVE-2021-29469 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.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-29469?
CVE-2021-29469 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2021-29469?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls redis'. 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-35q2-47q7-3pc3",
  "modified" : "2022-08-11T00:21:37Z",
  "published" : "2021-04-27T15:56:03Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-29469" ],
  "summary" : "Node-Redis potential exponential regex in monitor mode",
  "details" : "### Impact\nWhen a client is in monitoring mode, the regex begin used to detected monitor messages could cause exponential backtracking on some strings. This issue could lead to a denial of service.\n\n### Patches\nThe problem was fixed in commit [`2d11b6d`](https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/commit/2d11b6dc9b9774464a91fb4b448bad8bf699629e) and was released in version `3.1.1`.\n\n### References\n#1569 (GHSL-2021-026)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "redis"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.6.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/security/advisories/GHSA-35q2-47q7-3pc3"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29469"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/commit/2d11b6dc9b9774464a91fb4b448bad8bf699629e"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/NodeRedis/node-redis/releases/tag/v3.1.1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210611-0010"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-23T18:11:39Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-04-23T18:15:00Z"
  }
}