CVE-2018-21268: Traceroute Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8j9v-qhp4-wv55
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-74
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-21268 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')) affecting Traceroute libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves node-traceroute rce vulnerability. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2018-21268 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-21268
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8j9v-qhp4-wv55
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
Affected Product Traceroute
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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:H/I:H/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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-21268

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

traceroute fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install traceroute@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 traceroute

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-21268, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls traceroute

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Traceroute 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 traceroute 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-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component. In Traceroute, 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

The traceroute (aka node-traceroute) package through 1.0.0 for Node.js allows remote command injection via the host parameter. This occurs because the `Child.exec()` method, which is considered to be not entirely safe, is used. In particular, an OS command can be placed after a newline character.

CVE-2018-21268 Affected Traceroute Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
traceroute
npm/traceroute
npm
≤ 1.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2018-21268 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-21268
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/commit/b99ee024a01a40d3d20a92ad3769cc78a3f6386f
Traceroute Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute
Traceroute Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/tags
medium.com/@shay_62828/shell-c... WEB
https://medium.com/@shay_62828/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package-a4cf7b6553e3
snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute:20160311
www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_s... WEB
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-activity-6678956453086191616-Rcpy
www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465
www.op-c.net/2020/06/17/shell-co... WEB
https://www.op-c.net/2020/06/17/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-21268?
CVE-2018-21268 is a security vulnerability in Traceroute involving Node-Traceroute RCE Vulnerability under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection').
Which Traceroute versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: traceroute.
What version fixes CVE-2018-21268?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is traceroute affected?
Yes, traceroute 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-2018-21268?
CVE-2018-21268 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-21268?
CVE-2018-21268 is classified under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2018-21268?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls traceroute'. 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-8j9v-qhp4-wv55",
  "modified" : "2023-10-06T16:58:54Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:21:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-21268" ],
  "summary" : "Node-Traceroute RCE Vulnerability",
  "details" : "The traceroute (aka node-traceroute) package through 1.0.0 for Node.js allows remote command injection via the host parameter. This occurs because the `Child.exec()` method, which is considered to be not entirely safe, is used. In particular, an OS command can be placed after a newline character.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "traceroute"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-21268"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/commit/b99ee024a01a40d3d20a92ad3769cc78a3f6386f"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jaw187/node-traceroute/tags"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://medium.com/@shay_62828/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package-a4cf7b6553e3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/npm:traceroute:20160311"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/op-innovate_shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-activity-6678956453086191616-Rcpy"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1465"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.op-c.net/2020/06/17/shell-command-injection-through-traceroute-npm-package"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-74" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-19T23:28:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-06-25T17:15:00Z"
  }
}