CVE-2021-23431: Joplin Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF) Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gjwp-7v3g-99pj
Share
CVSS 5.4
CWE-352
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-23431 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.4) cross-site request forgery (csrf) vulnerability (CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)) affecting Joplin libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site request forgery (csrf) in joplin. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.3.2.

CVE-2021-23431 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-23431
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gjwp-7v3g-99pj
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.4
CWE Classification CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Affected Product Joplin
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.4

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:L/I:L/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 Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-23431

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

joplin fixed: 2.3.2 
npm install joplin@2.3.2
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 joplin

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-23431, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls joplin

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Joplin in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.3.2), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls joplin 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-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), where the web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor. In Joplin, 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

The package joplin before 2.3.2 are vulnerable to Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF) due to missing CSRF checks in various forms.

CVE-2021-23431 Affected Joplin Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.3.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
joplin
npm/joplin
npm
< 2.3.2
2.3.2

References

NVD — CVE-2021-23431 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23431
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/commit/19b45de2981c09f6f387498ef96d32b4811eba5e
Joplin Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/laurent22/joplin
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-joplin... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-JOPLIN-1325537

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23431?
CVE-2021-23431 is a security vulnerability in Joplin involving Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF) in joplin under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF).
Which Joplin versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.3.2 across affected packages: joplin.
What version fixes CVE-2021-23431?
Upgrading to 2.3.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is joplin affected?
Yes, joplin is affected in releases prior to 2.3.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.3.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-23431?
CVE-2021-23431 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.4 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-23431?
CVE-2021-23431 is classified under CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (The web application does not, or cannot, sufficiently verify whether a request was intentionally provided by the user who sent the request, which could have originated from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2021-23431?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls joplin'. 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-gjwp-7v3g-99pj",
  "modified" : "2021-08-25T18:00:40Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-02T17:09:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-23431" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF) in joplin",
  "details" : "The package joplin before 2.3.2 are vulnerable to Cross-site Request Forgery (CSRF) due to missing CSRF checks in various forms.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "joplin"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.3.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23431"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin/commit/19b45de2981c09f6f387498ef96d32b4811eba5e"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/laurent22/joplin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-JOPLIN-1325537"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-352" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-08-25T18:00:40Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-08-24T08:15:00Z"
  }
}