CVE-2021-46320: @openzeppelin/contracts Improper Initialization Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-88g8-f5mf-f5rj
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-665
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-46320 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) improper initialization vulnerability (CWE-665: Improper Initialization) affecting @openzeppelin/contracts libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves improper initialization in openzeppelin. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.4.1.

CVE-2021-46320 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-46320
GHSA Identifier GHSA-88g8-f5mf-f5rj
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-665: Improper Initialization
Affected Product @openzeppelin/contracts
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:H/A:N).

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 High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-46320

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

@openzeppelin/contracts fixed: 4.4.1 
npm install @openzeppelin/contracts@4.4.1
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 @openzeppelin/contracts

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-46320, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls @openzeppelin/contracts

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of @openzeppelin/contracts in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.4.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls @openzeppelin/contracts 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-665: Improper Initialization, where the product does not initialize or incorrectly initializes a resource, which might leave the resource in an unexpected state when it is accessed or used. In @openzeppelin/contracts, 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

In OpenZeppelin <=v4.4.0, initializer functions that are invoked separate from contract creation (the most prominent example being minimal proxies) may be reentered if they make an untrusted non-view external call. Once an initializer has finished running it can never be re-executed. However, an exception put in place to support multiple inheritance made reentrancy possible, breaking the expectation that there is a single execution.

CVE-2021-46320 Affected @openzeppelin/contracts Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.4.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
@openzeppelin/contracts
npm/@openzeppelin/contracts
npm
< 4.4.1
4.4.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/security/advisories/GHSA-9c22-pwxw-p6hx
NVD — CVE-2021-46320 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46320
@openzeppelin/contracts Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/pull/3006
@openzeppelin/contracts Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts
@openzeppelin/contracts Release RELEASE
https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/releases/tag/v4.4.1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-46320?
CVE-2021-46320 is a security vulnerability in @openzeppelin/contracts involving Improper Initialization in OpenZeppelin under CWE-665: Improper Initialization.
Which @openzeppelin/contracts versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.4.1 across affected packages: @openzeppelin/contracts.
What version fixes CVE-2021-46320?
Upgrading to 4.4.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is @openzeppelin/contracts affected?
Yes, @openzeppelin/contracts is affected in releases prior to 4.4.1. Upgrade your dependency to 4.4.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-46320?
CVE-2021-46320 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:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-46320?
CVE-2021-46320 is classified under CWE-665: Improper Initialization (The product does not initialize or incorrectly initializes a resource, which might leave the resource in an unexpected state when it is accessed or used.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2021-46320?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls @openzeppelin/contracts'. 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-88g8-f5mf-f5rj",
  "modified" : "2022-02-11T16:20:03Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-05T00:00:31Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-46320" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Initialization in OpenZeppelin",
  "details" : "In OpenZeppelin <=v4.4.0, initializer functions that are invoked separate from contract creation (the most prominent example being minimal proxies) may be reentered if they make an untrusted non-view external call. Once an initializer has finished running it can never be re-executed. However, an exception put in place to support multiple inheritance made reentrancy possible, breaking the expectation that there is a single execution.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "@openzeppelin/contracts"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.4.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/security/advisories/GHSA-9c22-pwxw-p6hx"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46320"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/pull/3006"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-contracts/releases/tag/v4.4.1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-665" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-02-11T16:20:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-02-04T12:15:00Z"
  }
}