CVE-2016-10588: Nw Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-hv96-xxx2-5v7w
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-311
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2016-10588 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-311: Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data) affecting Nw libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves downloads resources over http in nw. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.23.6-1.

CVE-2016-10588 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2016-10588
GHSA Identifier GHSA-hv96-xxx2-5v7w
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-311: Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data
Affected Product Nw
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:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
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-2016-10588

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

nw fixed: 0.23.6-1 
npm install nw@0.23.6-1
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 nw

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2016-10588, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls nw

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Nw in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.23.6-1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls nw 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-311: Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data, where the product does not encrypt sensitive or critical information before storage or transmission. In Nw, 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

Affected versions of `nw` insecurely download an executable over an unencrypted HTTP connection. In scenarios where an attacker has a privileged network position, it is possible to intercept the response and replace the executable with a malicious one, resulting in code execution on the system running `nw`. ## Recommendation Update to version 0.23.6-1 or later.

CVE-2016-10588 Affected Nw Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.23.6-1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
nw
npm/nw
npm
< 0.23.6-1
0.23.6-1

References

NVD — CVE-2016-10588 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10588
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/nwjs/npm-installer/commit/adb4df1e012d38a3872578d484291b9af07aad5b
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hv96-xxx2-5v7w
www.npmjs.com/advisories/166 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/166

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-10588?
CVE-2016-10588 is a security vulnerability in Nw involving Downloads Resources over HTTP in nw under CWE-311: Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data.
Which Nw versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.23.6-1 across affected packages: nw.
What version fixes CVE-2016-10588?
Upgrading to 0.23.6-1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is nw affected?
Yes, nw is affected in releases prior to 0.23.6-1. Upgrade your dependency to 0.23.6-1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-10588?
CVE-2016-10588 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2016-10588?
CVE-2016-10588 is classified under CWE-311: Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data (The product does not encrypt sensitive or critical information before storage or transmission.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2016-10588?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls nw'. 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-hv96-xxx2-5v7w",
  "modified" : "2021-06-10T23:26:24Z",
  "published" : "2019-02-18T23:51:04Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2016-10588" ],
  "summary" : "Downloads Resources over HTTP in nw",
  "details" : "Affected versions of `nw` insecurely download an executable over an unencrypted HTTP connection. \n\nIn scenarios where an attacker has a privileged network position, it is possible to intercept the response and replace the executable with a malicious one, resulting in code execution on the system running `nw`.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 0.23.6-1 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "nw"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.23.6-1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 0.23.6-sdk"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-10588"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/nwjs/npm-installer/commit/adb4df1e012d38a3872578d484291b9af07aad5b"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hv96-xxx2-5v7w"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/166"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-311" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:40:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}