CVE-2019-17636: @theia/mini browser Insufficient Verification Of Data Authenticity Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f7vx-j8mp-3h2x
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-345
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-17636 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) insufficient verification of data authenticity vulnerability (CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity) affecting @theia/mini browser libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves insufficient verification of data authenticity in eclipse theia. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.16.0.

CVE-2019-17636 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-17636
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f7vx-j8mp-3h2x
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
Affected Product @theia/mini browser
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-17636

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

@theia/mini-browser fixed: 0.16.0 
npm install @theia/mini-browser@0.16.0
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 @theia/mini-browser

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-17636, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls @theia/mini-browser

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of @theia/mini browser in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.16.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls @theia/mini-browser 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-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity, where the product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data. In @theia/mini browser, 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 Eclipse Theia versions 0.3.9 through 0.15.0, one of the default pre-packaged Theia extensions is "Mini-Browser", published as "@theia/mini-browser" on npmjs.com. This extension, for its own needs, exposes a HTTP endpoint that allows to read the content of files on the hosts filesystem, given their path, without restrictions on the requesters origin. This design is vulnerable to being exploited remotely through a DNS rebinding attack or a drive-by download of a carefully crafted exploit.

CVE-2019-17636 Affected @theia/mini browser Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.16.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
@theia/mini-browser
npm/@theia/mini-browser
npm
≥ 0.3.9
< 0.16.0
0.16.0

References

NVD — CVE-2019-17636 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-17636
@theia/mini browser Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/pull/7205
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/commit/b212d07f915df1509180944ee3132714bc2636bf
bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=551747

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-17636?
CVE-2019-17636 is a security vulnerability in @theia/mini browser involving Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity in Eclipse Theia under CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity.
Which @theia/mini browser versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.16.0 across affected packages: @theia/mini-browser.
What version fixes CVE-2019-17636?
Upgrading to 0.16.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is @theia/mini-browser affected?
Yes, @theia/mini-browser is affected in releases prior to 0.16.0. Upgrade your dependency to 0.16.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-17636?
CVE-2019-17636 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-17636?
CVE-2019-17636 is classified under CWE-345: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity (The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2019-17636?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls @theia/mini-browser'. 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-f7vx-j8mp-3h2x",
  "modified" : "2021-03-29T22:11:05Z",
  "published" : "2021-04-13T15:18:01Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-17636" ],
  "summary" : "Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity in Eclipse Theia",
  "details" : "In Eclipse Theia versions 0.3.9 through 0.15.0, one of the default pre-packaged Theia extensions is \"Mini-Browser\", published as \"@theia/mini-browser\" on npmjs.com. This extension, for its own needs, exposes a HTTP endpoint that allows to read the content of files on the hosts filesystem, given their path, without restrictions on the requesters origin. This design is vulnerable to being exploited remotely through a DNS rebinding attack or a drive-by download of a carefully crafted exploit.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "@theia/mini-browser"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0.3.9"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.16.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-17636"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/pull/7205"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia/commit/b212d07f915df1509180944ee3132714bc2636bf"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=551747"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-345" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-03-29T22:11:05Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-10T15:15:00Z"
  }
}