CVE-2021-4278: Tree kit Tree-kit Vulnerable To Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mw4x-g2x8-qcvf
Share
CVSS 7.8
CWE-1321
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-4278 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.8) tree-kit vulnerable to prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Tree kit libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves tree-kit vulnerable to prototype pollution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.7.0.

CVE-2021-4278 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-4278
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mw4x-g2x8-qcvf
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.8
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Tree kit
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
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-2021-4278

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

tree-kit fixed: 0.7.0 
npm install tree-kit@0.7.0
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 tree-kit

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-4278, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls tree-kit

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Tree kit in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.7.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls tree-kit 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 Tree kit, 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

A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in cronvel tree-kit up to 0.6.x. This affects an unknown part. The manipulation leads to improperly controlled modification of object prototype attributes ('prototype pollution'). Upgrading to version 0.7.0 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is a63f559c50d70e8cb2eaae670dec25d1dbc4afcd. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier VDB-216765 was assigned to this vulnerability.

CVE-2021-4278 Affected Tree kit Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.7.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
tree-kit
npm/tree-kit
npm
< 0.7.0
0.7.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-4278 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4278
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/cronvel/tree-kit/commit/a63f559c50d70e8cb2eaae670dec25d1dbc4afcd
Tree kit Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/cronvel/tree-kit
Tree kit Release RELEASE
https://github.com/cronvel/tree-kit/releases/tag/v0.7.0
vuldb.com/ WEB
https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.216765
vuldb.com/ WEB
https://vuldb.com/?id.216765

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-4278?
CVE-2021-4278 is a security vulnerability in Tree kit involving tree-kit vulnerable to Prototype Pollution under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Tree kit versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.7.0 across affected packages: tree-kit.
What version fixes CVE-2021-4278?
Upgrading to 0.7.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is tree-kit affected?
Yes, tree-kit is affected in releases prior to 0.7.0. Upgrade your dependency to 0.7.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-4278?
CVE-2021-4278 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-4278?
CVE-2021-4278 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-2021-4278?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls tree-kit'. 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-mw4x-g2x8-qcvf",
  "modified" : "2023-01-09T19:53:50Z",
  "published" : "2022-12-25T18:30:28Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-4278" ],
  "summary" : "tree-kit vulnerable to Prototype Pollution",
  "details" : "A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in cronvel tree-kit up to 0.6.x. This affects an unknown part. The manipulation leads to improperly controlled modification of object prototype attributes ('prototype pollution'). Upgrading to version 0.7.0 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is a63f559c50d70e8cb2eaae670dec25d1dbc4afcd. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. The identifier VDB-216765 was assigned to this vulnerability.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "tree-kit"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.7.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4278"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cronvel/tree-kit/commit/a63f559c50d70e8cb2eaae670dec25d1dbc4afcd"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cronvel/tree-kit"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cronvel/tree-kit/releases/tag/v0.7.0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.216765"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/?id.216765"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-01-09T19:53:50Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-12-25T16:15:00Z"
  }
}