CVE-2021-23429: Transpile Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7xrj-f5rp-j55h
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-755 CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-23429 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions) affecting Transpile libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves uncontrolled resource consumption in transpile. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-23429 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-23429
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7xrj-f5rp-j55h
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions
Affected Product Transpile
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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:R/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 Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-23429

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

transpile fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install transpile@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 transpile

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-23429, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls transpile

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Transpile 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 transpile 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-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions, where the product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition. In Transpile, 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

All versions of package transpile are vulnerable to Denial of Service (DoS) due to a lack of input sanitization or whitelisting, coupled with improper exception handling in the .to() function.

CVE-2021-23429 Affected Transpile Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
transpile
npm/transpile
npm
≤ 2.7.2

References

NVD — CVE-2021-23429 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23429
Transpile Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/stealjs/transpile
Transpile Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/stealjs/transpile/blob/56aaeb26f69496e45a60c03dc92653d53021d4ac/main.js%23L53
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-transp... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-TRANSPILE-1290774

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23429?
CVE-2021-23429 is a security vulnerability in Transpile involving Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in transpile under CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions.
Which Transpile versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: transpile.
What version fixes CVE-2021-23429?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is transpile affected?
Yes, transpile 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-2021-23429?
CVE-2021-23429 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-23429?
CVE-2021-23429 is classified under CWE-755: Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions (The product does not handle or incorrectly handles an exceptional condition.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2021-23429?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls transpile'. 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-7xrj-f5rp-j55h",
  "modified" : "2021-08-25T19:32:59Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-02T17:10:42Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-23429" ],
  "summary" : "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in transpile",
  "details" : "All versions of package transpile are vulnerable to Denial of Service (DoS) due to a lack of input sanitization or whitelisting, coupled with improper exception handling in the .to() function.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "transpile"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.7.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23429"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/stealjs/transpile"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/stealjs/transpile/blob/56aaeb26f69496e45a60c03dc92653d53021d4ac/main.js%23L53"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-TRANSPILE-1290774"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400", "CWE-755" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-08-25T19:32:59Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-08-24T08:15:00Z"
  }
}