CVE-2021-3766: Objection Objection.js Prototype Pollution Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r659-8xfp-j327
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-1321 CWE-915
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-3766 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) objection.js prototype pollution vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Objection libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves objection.js prototype pollution vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.2.16.

CVE-2021-3766 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-3766
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r659-8xfp-j327
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Objection
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:3.1/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-2021-3766

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

objection fixed: 2.2.16 
npm install objection@2.2.16
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 objection

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-3766, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls objection

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Objection in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.2.16), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls objection 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 Objection, 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

objection.js prior to version 2.2.16 is vulnerable to Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution'). This issue is patched in version 2.2.16.

CVE-2021-3766 Affected Objection Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.2.16
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
objection
npm/objection
npm
< 2.2.16
2.2.16

References

NVD — CVE-2021-3766 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3766
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/Vincit/objection.js/commit/46b842a6bc897198b83f41ac85c92864b991d7e9
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/vincit/objection.js/commit/b41aab8dcd78f426f7468dcda541a7aca18a66a6
Objection Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/vincit/objection.js
huntr.dev/bounties/c98e0f0e-e... WEB
https://huntr.dev/bounties/c98e0f0e-ebf2-4072-be73-a1848ea031cc

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3766?
CVE-2021-3766 is a security vulnerability in Objection involving objection.js Prototype Pollution vulnerability under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Objection versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.2.16 across affected packages: objection.
What version fixes CVE-2021-3766?
Upgrading to 2.2.16 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is objection affected?
Yes, objection is affected in releases prior to 2.2.16. Upgrade your dependency to 2.2.16 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3766?
CVE-2021-3766 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-3766?
CVE-2021-3766 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-2021-3766?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls objection'. 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-r659-8xfp-j327",
  "modified" : "2023-09-07T18:40:01Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-07T23:09:43Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-3766" ],
  "summary" : "objection.js Prototype Pollution vulnerability",
  "details" : "objection.js prior to version 2.2.16 is vulnerable to Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution'). This issue is patched in version 2.2.16.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "objection"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.16"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3766"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Vincit/objection.js/commit/46b842a6bc897198b83f41ac85c92864b991d7e9"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/vincit/objection.js/commit/b41aab8dcd78f426f7468dcda541a7aca18a66a6"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/vincit/objection.js"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.dev/bounties/c98e0f0e-ebf2-4072-be73-a1848ea031cc"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321", "CWE-915" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-07T19:01:54Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-09-06T12:15:00Z"
  }
}