CVE-2018-16469: Merge Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f9cm-qmx5-m98h
Share
CVSS 7.5
CWE-1321 CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-16469 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Merge libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in merge. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.2.1.

CVE-2018-16469 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-16469
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f9cm-qmx5-m98h
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Merge
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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:N/I:N/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 None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-16469

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Merge 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 fixed: 1.2.1 
npm install merge@1.2.1
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

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-16469, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls merge

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Merge in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.2.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls merge 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-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution'), where the product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype. In Merge, 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` before 1.2.1 are vulnerable to prototype pollution. The `merge.recursive` function can be tricked into adding or modifying properties of the Object prototype. ## Recommendation Update to version 1.2.1 or later.

CVE-2018-16469 Affected Merge Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.2.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
merge
npm/merge
npm
< 1.2.1
1.2.1

References

NVD — CVE-2018-16469 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16469
hackerone.com/reports/381194 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/381194
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-f9cm-qmx5-m98h
www.npmjs.com/advisories/722 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/722

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16469?
CVE-2018-16469 is a security vulnerability in Merge involving Prototype Pollution in merge under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Merge versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.2.1 across affected packages: merge.
What version fixes CVE-2018-16469?
Upgrading to 1.2.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is merge affected?
Yes, merge is affected in releases prior to 1.2.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.2.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-16469?
CVE-2018-16469 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-16469?
CVE-2018-16469 is classified under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') (The product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2018-16469?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls merge'. 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-f9cm-qmx5-m98h",
  "modified" : "2023-09-07T20:34:10Z",
  "published" : "2018-11-01T14:45:42Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16469" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in merge",
  "details" : "Versions of `merge` before 1.2.1 are vulnerable to prototype pollution. The `merge.recursive` function can be tricked into adding or modifying properties of the Object prototype.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 1.2.1 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "merge"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.2.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16469"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/381194"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-f9cm-qmx5-m98h"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/722"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321", "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:34:14Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}