CVE-2018-3723: Defaults deep Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-cqp5-m4pq-gfgp
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-471
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-3723 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID)) affecting Defaults deep libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in defaults-deep. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.2.4.

CVE-2018-3723 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-3723
GHSA Identifier GHSA-cqp5-m4pq-gfgp
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID)
Affected Product Defaults 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-2018-3723

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Defaults 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.

defaults-deep fixed: 0.2.4 
npm install defaults-deep@0.2.4
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 defaults-deep

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-3723, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls defaults-deep

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Defaults deep in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.2.4), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls defaults-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 Defaults 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 `default-deep` before 0.2.4 are vulnerable to prototype pollution ## Recommendation Update to version 0.2.4 or later.

CVE-2018-3723 Affected Defaults deep Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.2.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
defaults-deep
npm/defaults-deep
npm
< 0.2.4
0.2.4

References

NVD — CVE-2018-3723 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3723
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jonschlinkert/defaults-deep/commit/c873f341327ad885ff4d0f23b3d3bca31b0343e5
hackerone.com/reports/310514 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/310514
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cqp5-m4pq-gfgp
www.npmjs.com/advisories/581 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/581

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-3723?
CVE-2018-3723 is a security vulnerability in Defaults deep involving Prototype Pollution in defaults-deep under CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID).
Which Defaults deep versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.2.4 across affected packages: defaults-deep.
What version fixes CVE-2018-3723?
Upgrading to 0.2.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is defaults-deep affected?
Yes, defaults-deep is affected in releases prior to 0.2.4. Upgrade your dependency to 0.2.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-3723?
CVE-2018-3723 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-2018-3723?
CVE-2018-3723 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-2018-3723?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls defaults-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-cqp5-m4pq-gfgp",
  "modified" : "2023-09-12T20:44:17Z",
  "published" : "2018-07-26T15:18:43Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-3723" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in defaults-deep",
  "details" : "Versions of `default-deep` before 0.2.4 are vulnerable to prototype pollution\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 0.2.4 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" : "defaults-deep"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.2.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3723"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jonschlinkert/defaults-deep/commit/c873f341327ad885ff4d0f23b3d3bca31b0343e5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/310514"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cqp5-m4pq-gfgp"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/581"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-471" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:32:27Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}