CVE-2024-34394: Libxmljs2 Libxmljs2 Vulnerable To Type Confusion Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-78h3-pg4x-j8cv
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-843
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-34394 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 8.1) libxmljs2 vulnerable to type confusion vulnerability (CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')) affecting Libxmljs2 libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves libxmljs2 vulnerable to type confusion when parsing specially crafted xml. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2024-34394 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-34394
GHSA Identifier GHSA-78h3-pg4x-j8cv
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')
Affected Product Libxmljs2
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2024-34394

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Libxmljs2 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

libxmljs2 fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install libxmljs2@Latest secure release
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 libxmljs2

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2024-34394, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls libxmljs2

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Libxmljs2 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls libxmljs2 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-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion'), where the product allocates or initializes a resource such as a pointer, object, or variable using one type, but it later accesses that resource using a type that is incompatible with the original type. In Libxmljs2, 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

libxmljs2 is vulnerable to a type confusion vulnerability when parsing a specially crafted XML while invoking the `namespaces()` function (which invokes `XmlNode::get_local_namespaces()`) on a grand-child of a node that refers to an entity. This vulnerability can lead to denial of service and remote code execution.

CVE-2024-34394 Affected Libxmljs2 Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
libxmljs2
npm/libxmljs2
npm
≤ 0.35.0

References

NVD — CVE-2024-34394 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-34394
Libxmljs2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/marudor/libxmljs2/issues/205
Libxmljs2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/marudor/libxmljs2
research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/lib... WEB
https://research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/libxmljs2-namespaces-type-confusion-rce-jfsa-2024-001034098

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-34394?
CVE-2024-34394 is a security vulnerability in Libxmljs2 involving libxmljs2 vulnerable to type confusion when parsing specially crafted XML under CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion').
Which Libxmljs2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: libxmljs2.
What version fixes CVE-2024-34394?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is libxmljs2 affected?
Yes, libxmljs2 is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-34394?
CVE-2024-34394 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-34394?
CVE-2024-34394 is classified under CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion') (The product allocates or initializes a resource such as a pointer, object, or variable using one type, but it later accesses that resource using a type that is incompatible with the original type.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2024-34394?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls libxmljs2'. 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-78h3-pg4x-j8cv",
  "modified" : "2024-11-25T19:28:05Z",
  "published" : "2024-05-02T21:30:29Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-34394" ],
  "summary" : "libxmljs2 vulnerable to type confusion when parsing specially crafted XML",
  "details" : "libxmljs2 is vulnerable to a type confusion vulnerability when parsing a specially crafted XML while invoking the `namespaces()` function (which invokes `XmlNode::get_local_namespaces()`) on a grand-child of a node that refers to an entity. This vulnerability can lead to denial of service and remote code execution.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "libxmljs2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "0.35.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-34394"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/marudor/libxmljs2/issues/205"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/marudor/libxmljs2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/libxmljs2-namespaces-type-confusion-rce-jfsa-2024-001034098"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-843" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-05-03T20:24:18Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-05-02T19:15:06Z"
  }
}