CVE-2018-3752: Merge options Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-qw93-45r3-p66p
Share
CVSS 9.8
CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-3752 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Merge options libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in merge-options. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.0.1.

CVE-2018-3752 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-3752
GHSA Identifier GHSA-qw93-45r3-p66p
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Merge options
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-3752

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Merge options 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-options fixed: 1.0.1 
npm install merge-options@1.0.1
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-options

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-3752, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls merge-options

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Merge options in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.0.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls merge-options 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. In Merge options, 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

All versions of `merge-options` are vulnerable to Prototype Pollution ## Recommendation Update to version 1.0.1 or greater.

CVE-2018-3752 Affected Merge options Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.0.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
merge-options
npm/merge-options
npm
< 1.0.1
1.0.1

References

NVD — CVE-2018-3752 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3752
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/schnittstabil/merge-options/commit/d4a93bc2890455e0931ac0779667023e6cb101d4
hackerone.com/reports/311336 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/311336
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qw93-45r3-p66p
Merge options Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/schnittstabil/merge-options
www.npmjs.com/advisories/717 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/717

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-3752?
CVE-2018-3752 is a security vulnerability in Merge options involving Prototype Pollution in merge-options under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Merge options versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.0.1 across affected packages: merge-options.
What version fixes CVE-2018-3752?
Upgrading to 1.0.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is merge-options affected?
Yes, merge-options is affected in releases prior to 1.0.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.0.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-3752?
CVE-2018-3752 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-3752?
CVE-2018-3752 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2018-3752?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls merge-options'. 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-qw93-45r3-p66p",
  "modified" : "2021-09-16T21:10:31Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-09T00:19:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-3752" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in merge-options",
  "details" : "All versions of `merge-options` are vulnerable to Prototype Pollution\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 1.0.1 or greater.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "merge-options"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3752"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/schnittstabil/merge-options/commit/d4a93bc2890455e0931ac0779667023e6cb101d4"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/311336"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qw93-45r3-p66p"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/schnittstabil/merge-options"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/717"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:53:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}