CVE-2018-16491: Node.extend Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r96c-57pf-9jjm
Share
CVSS 9.8
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-16491 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Node.extend libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in node.extend. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.1.7, 2.0.1.

CVE-2018-16491 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-16491
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r96c-57pf-9jjm
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Node.extend
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-2018-16491

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

node.extend fixed: 1.1.7 
npm install node.extend@1.1.7
node.extend fixed: 2.0.1 
npm install node.extend@2.0.1
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 node.extend

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-16491, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls node.extend

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Node.extend in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.1.7), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls node.extend 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 Node.extend, 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

Versions of `node.extend` before 1.1.7 or 2.0.1 are vulnerable to prototype pollution. ## Recommendation Update to version 1.1.7, 2.0.1 or later.

CVE-2018-16491 Affected Node.extend Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.1.72.0.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
node.extend
npm/node.extend
npm
< 1.1.7
1.1.7
node.extend
npm/node.extend
npm
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.0.1
All 1 versions
2.0.0
2.0.1

References

NVD — CVE-2018-16491 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16491
hackerone.com/reports/430831 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/430831
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r96c-57pf-9jjm
www.npmjs.com/advisories/781 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/781

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16491?
CVE-2018-16491 is a security vulnerability in Node.extend involving Prototype Pollution in node.extend under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Node.extend versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.1.7, 2.0.1 across affected packages: node.extend.
What version fixes CVE-2018-16491?
Upgrading to 1.1.7, 2.0.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is node.extend affected?
Yes, node.extend is affected in releases prior to 1.1.7, 2.0.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.1.7, 2.0.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-16491?
CVE-2018-16491 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-2018-16491?
CVE-2018-16491 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-2018-16491?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls node.extend'. 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-r96c-57pf-9jjm",
  "modified" : "2023-09-12T18:31:21Z",
  "published" : "2019-02-07T18:17:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16491" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in node.extend",
  "details" : "Versions of `node.extend` before 1.1.7 or 2.0.1 are vulnerable to prototype pollution. \n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 1.1.7, 2.0.1 or later.",
  "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" : "node.extend"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.1.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "node.extend"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "2.0.0" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16491"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/430831"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r96c-57pf-9jjm"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/781"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:54:07Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}