CVE-2021-23490: Parse link header Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q674-xm3x-2926
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-23490 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Parse link header libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves uncontrolled resource consumption in parse-link-header. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.0.0.

CVE-2021-23490 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-23490
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q674-xm3x-2926
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Parse link header
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-2021-23490

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

parse-link-header fixed: 2.0.0 
npm install parse-link-header@2.0.0
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 parse-link-header

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-23490, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls parse-link-header

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Parse link header in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.0.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls parse-link-header 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-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Parse link header, 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 parse-link-header before 2.0.0 are vulnerable to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) via the checkHeader function.

CVE-2021-23490 Affected Parse link header Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.0.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
parse-link-header
npm/parse-link-header
npm
< 2.0.0
2.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-23490 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23490
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/thlorenz/parse-link-header/commit/72f05c717b3f129c5331a07bf300ed8886eb8ae1
Parse link header Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/thlorenz/parse-link-header
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-java-orgw... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGWEBJARSNPM-2321973
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-parsel... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-PARSELINKHEADER-1582783

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23490?
CVE-2021-23490 is a security vulnerability in Parse link header involving Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in parse-link-header under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Parse link header versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.0.0 across affected packages: parse-link-header.
What version fixes CVE-2021-23490?
Upgrading to 2.0.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is parse-link-header affected?
Yes, parse-link-header is affected in releases prior to 2.0.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.0.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-23490?
CVE-2021-23490 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-2021-23490?
CVE-2021-23490 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2021-23490?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls parse-link-header'. 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-q674-xm3x-2926",
  "modified" : "2022-01-07T16:08:29Z",
  "published" : "2022-01-06T21:37:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-23490" ],
  "summary" : "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in parse-link-header",
  "details" : "The package parse-link-header before 2.0.0 are vulnerable to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) via the checkHeader function.",
  "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" : "parse-link-header"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23490"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/thlorenz/parse-link-header/commit/72f05c717b3f129c5331a07bf300ed8886eb8ae1"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/thlorenz/parse-link-header"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGWEBJARSNPM-2321973"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-PARSELINKHEADER-1582783"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-01-05T20:18:47Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-12-24T20:15:00Z"
  }
}