CVE-2018-3722: Merge deep Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9g9w-hmvj-5h57
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-471
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-3722 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID)) affecting Merge deep libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in merge-deep. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.0.1.

CVE-2018-3722 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-3722
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9g9w-hmvj-5h57
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID)
Affected Product Merge deep
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
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-2018-3722

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

merge-deep fixed: 3.0.1 
npm install merge-deep@3.0.1
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 merge-deep

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-3722, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls merge-deep

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Merge deep in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.0.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls merge-deep 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-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID), where the product does not properly protect an assumed-immutable element from being modified by an attacker. In Merge deep, 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

Versions of `merge-deep` before 3.0.1 are vulnerable to prototype pollution via merging functions. ## Recommendation Update to version 3.0.1 or later.

CVE-2018-3722 Affected Merge deep Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.0.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
merge-deep
npm/merge-deep
npm
< 3.0.1
3.0.1

References

NVD — CVE-2018-3722 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3722
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jonschlinkert/merge-deep/commit/2c33634da7129a5aefcc262d2fec2e72224404e5
hackerone.com/reports/310708 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/310708
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9g9w-hmvj-5h57
www.npmjs.com/advisories/580 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/580

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-3722?
CVE-2018-3722 is a security vulnerability in Merge deep involving Prototype Pollution in merge-deep under CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID).
Which Merge deep versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.0.1 across affected packages: merge-deep.
What version fixes CVE-2018-3722?
Upgrading to 3.0.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is merge-deep affected?
Yes, merge-deep is affected in releases prior to 3.0.1. Upgrade your dependency to 3.0.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-3722?
CVE-2018-3722 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-3722?
CVE-2018-3722 is classified under CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID) (The product does not properly protect an assumed-immutable element from being modified by an attacker.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2018-3722?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls merge-deep'. 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-9g9w-hmvj-5h57",
  "modified" : "2023-09-07T18:19:34Z",
  "published" : "2018-07-26T15:17:15Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-3722" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in merge-deep",
  "details" : "Versions of `merge-deep` before 3.0.1 are vulnerable to prototype pollution via merging functions.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 3.0.1 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "merge-deep"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3722"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jonschlinkert/merge-deep/commit/2c33634da7129a5aefcc262d2fec2e72224404e5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/310708"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9g9w-hmvj-5h57"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/580"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-471" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:28:27Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}