CVE-2023-39532: Ses SES's Dynamic Import And Spread Vulnerability
CRITICALCVE-2023-39532 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) ses's dynamic import and spread vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Ses libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves ses's dynamic import and spread operator provides possible path to arbitrary exfiltration and execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.13.5, 0.14.5, 0.15.24, 0.16.1, 0.17.1, 0.18.7.
CVE-2023-39532 at a Glance
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).
How to Fix CVE-2023-39532
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Ses dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
npm install ses@0.13.5
npm install ses@0.14.5
npm install ses@0.15.24
npm install ses@0.16.1
npm install ses@0.17.1
npm install ses@0.18.7
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls ses
How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2023-39532, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls ses
Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Ses in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.13.5), your application is affected.
Note: The npm ls ses 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. In Ses, 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
CVE-2023-39532 Affected Ses Versions
6 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ses
|
npm |
≥ 0.13.0
< 0.13.5
|
0.13.5
|
|
ses
|
npm |
≥ 0.14.0
< 0.14.5
|
0.14.5
|
|
ses
|
npm |
≥ 0.15.0
< 0.15.24
|
0.15.24
|
|
ses
|
npm |
≥ 0.16.0
< 0.16.1
All 1 versions
0.16.0
|
0.16.1
|
|
ses
|
npm |
≥ 0.17.0
< 0.17.1
All 1 versions
0.17.0
|
0.17.1
|
|
ses
|
npm |
≥ 0.18.0
< 0.18.7
|
0.18.7
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-39532?
Which Ses versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2023-39532?
Is ses affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-39532?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-39532?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2023-39532?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-9c4h-3f7h-322r",
"modified" : "2023-08-09T14:43:20Z",
"published" : "2023-08-09T14:43:20Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-39532" ],
"summary" : "SES's dynamic import and spread operator provides possible path to arbitrary exfiltration and execution",
"details" : "### Impact\n\nThis is a hole in the confinement of guest applications under SES that may manifest as either the ability to exfiltrate information or execute arbitrary code depending on the configuration and implementation of the surrounding host.\n\nGuest program running inside a Compartment with as few as no endowments can gain access to the surrounding host’s dynamic import by using dynamic import after the spread operator, like `{...import(arbitraryModuleSpecifier)}`.\n\nOn the web or in web extensions, a Content-Security-Policy following ordinary best practices likely mitigates both the risk of exfiltration and execution of arbitrary code, at least limiting the modules that the attacker can import to those that are already part of the application. However, without a Content-Security-Policy, dynamic import can be used to issue HTTP requests for either communication through the URL or for the execution of code reachable from that origin.\n\nWithin an XS worker, an attacker can use the host’s module system to the extent that the host has been configured. This typically only allows access to module code on the host’s file system and is of limited use to an attacker.\n\nWithin Node.js, the attacker gains access to Node.js’s module system. Importing the powerful builtins is not useful except insofar as there are side-effects and tempered because dynamic import returns a promise. Spreading a promise into an object renders the promises useless. However, Node.js allows importing data URLs, so this is a clear path to arbitrary execution.\n\n### Patches\n\nAll affected `0.*` version trains have the following patch. Running `npm update` will obtain the patch on all affected projects using `^0.*` style dependency constraints in their `package.json`.\n\n```diff\nFrom 33469e88bfb2bf34a161c265f10f808ce354a700 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001\nFrom: Kris Kowal <kris@agoric.com>\nDate: Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:25:13 -0700\nSubject: [PATCH] fix(fix): Censor spread import\n\n---\n packages/ses/src/transforms.js | 2 +-\n packages/ses/test/test-transforms.js | 22 +++++++++++++++++++++-\n 2 files changed, 22 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)\n\ndiff --git a/packages/ses/src/transforms.js b/packages/ses/src/transforms.js\nindex a0fc8d0ef..64a46cb53 100644\n--- a/packages/ses/src/transforms.js\n+++ b/packages/ses/src/transforms.js\n@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export const evadeHtmlCommentTest = src => {\n // /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////\n \n const importPattern = new FERAL_REG_EXP(\n- '(^|[^.])\\\\bimport(\\\\s*(?:\\\\(|/[/*]))',\n+ '(^|[^.]|\\\\.\\\\.\\\\.)\\\\bimport(\\\\s*(?:\\\\(|/[/*]))',\n 'g',\n );\n \ndiff --git a/packages/ses/test/test-transforms.js b/packages/ses/test/test-transforms.js\nindex cef0c02c1..8f6818b83 100644\n--- a/packages/ses/test/test-transforms.js\n+++ b/packages/ses/test/test-transforms.js\n@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {\n } from '../src/transforms.js';\n \n test('no-import-expression regexp', t => {\n- t.plan(9);\n+ t.plan(13);\n \n // Note: we cannot define these as regular functions (and then stringify)\n // because the 'esm' module loader that we use for running the tests (i.e.\n@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ test('no-import-expression regexp', t => {\n const safe = 'const a = 1';\n const safe2 = \"const a = notimport('evil')\";\n const safe3 = \"const a = importnot('evil')\";\n+ const safe4 = \"const a = compartment.import('name')\";\n \n const obvious = \"const a = import('evil')\";\n const whitespace = \"const a = import ('evil')\";\n@@ -27,10 +28,14 @@ test('no-import-expression regexp', t => {\n const doubleSlashComment = \"const a = import // hah\\n('evil')\";\n const newline = \"const a = import\\n('evil')\";\n const multiline = \"\\nimport('a')\\nimport('b')\";\n+ const spread = \"{...import('exfil')}\";\n+ const spread2 = \"{\\n...\\nimport\\n('exfil')}\";\n+ const spread3 = \"{\\n...\\nimport/**/\\n('exfil')}\";\n \n t.is(rejectImportExpressions(safe), safe, 'safe');\n t.is(rejectImportExpressions(safe2), safe2, 'safe2');\n t.is(rejectImportExpressions(safe3), safe3, 'safe3');\n+ t.is(rejectImportExpressions(safe4), safe4, 'safe4');\n t.throws(\n () => rejectImportExpressions(obvious),\n { instanceOf: SyntaxError },\n@@ -62,6 +67,21 @@ test('no-import-expression regexp', t => {\n 'possible import expression rejected around line 2',\n 'multiline',\n );\n+ t.throws(\n+ () => rejectImportExpressions(spread),\n+ { instanceOf: SyntaxError },\n+ 'spread',\n+ );\n+ t.throws(\n+ () => rejectImportExpressions(spread2),\n+ { instanceOf: SyntaxError },\n+ 'spread2',\n+ );\n+ t.throws(\n+ () => rejectImportExpressions(spread3),\n+ { instanceOf: SyntaxError },\n+ 'spread3',\n+ );\n });\n \n test('no-html-comment-expression regexp', t => {\n-- \n2.40.1\n```\n\n### Workarounds\n\nOn the web, providing a suitably constrained Content-Security-Policy mitigates most of the threat.\n\nWith XS, building a binary that lacks the ability to load modules at runtime mitigates the entirety of the threat. That will look like an implementation of `fxFindModule` in a file like `xsPlatform.c` that calls `fxRejectModuleFile`.\n\nWe highly advise applying the above patch for Node.js as there is no known work-around and Node.js’s module specifiers are exceedingly powerful, including support for `data:text/javascript,` style module specifier URLs.\n\n### References\n\nNo references at this time.",
"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" : "ses"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.13.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "0.13.5"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "ses"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.14.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "0.14.5"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "ses"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.15.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "0.15.24"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "ses"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.16.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "0.16.1"
} ]
} ],
"versions" : [ "0.16.0" ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "ses"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.17.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "0.17.1"
} ]
} ],
"versions" : [ "0.17.0" ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "ses"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0.18.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "0.18.7"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/endojs/endo/security/advisories/GHSA-9c4h-3f7h-322r"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-39532"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/endojs/endo/commit/fc90c6429604dc79ce8e3355e236ccce2bada041"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/endojs/endo"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
"severity" : "CRITICAL",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2023-08-09T14:43:20Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2023-08-08T17:15:09Z"
}
}