CVE-2021-23449: Vm2 Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-rjf2-j2r6-q8gr
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-1321 CWE-915
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-23449 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Vm2 libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in vm2. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.9.4.

CVE-2021-23449 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-23449
GHSA Identifier GHSA-rjf2-j2r6-q8gr
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Vm2
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-2021-23449

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Vm2 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

vm2 fixed: 3.9.4 
npm install vm2@3.9.4
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 vm2

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-23449, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls vm2

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Vm2 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.9.4), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls vm2 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 Vm2, 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

This affects the package vm2 before 3.9.4. Prototype Pollution attack vector can lead to sandbox escape and execution of arbitrary code on the host machine.

CVE-2021-23449 Affected Vm2 Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.9.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
vm2
npm/vm2
npm
< 3.9.4
3.9.4

References

NVD — CVE-2021-23449 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23449
Vm2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/issues/363
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/b4f6e2bd2c4a1ef52fc4483d8e35f28bc4481886
Vm2 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2
Vm2 Release RELEASE
https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/3.9.4
Vm2 Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211029-0010
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-vm2-15... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-VM2-1585918

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23449?
CVE-2021-23449 is a security vulnerability in Vm2 involving Prototype Pollution in vm2 under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Vm2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.9.4 across affected packages: vm2.
What version fixes CVE-2021-23449?
Upgrading to 3.9.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is vm2 affected?
Yes, vm2 is affected in releases prior to 3.9.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.9.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-23449?
CVE-2021-23449 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-2021-23449?
CVE-2021-23449 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-2021-23449?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls vm2'. 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-rjf2-j2r6-q8gr",
  "modified" : "2021-10-19T14:18:05Z",
  "published" : "2021-10-19T15:28:45Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-23449" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in vm2",
  "details" : "This affects the package vm2 before 3.9.4. Prototype Pollution attack vector can lead to sandbox escape and execution of arbitrary code on the host machine.",
  "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" : "vm2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.9.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23449"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/issues/363"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/commit/b4f6e2bd2c4a1ef52fc4483d8e35f28bc4481886"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/patriksimek/vm2/releases/tag/3.9.4"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211029-0010"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-VM2-1585918"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321", "CWE-915" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-10-19T14:18:05Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-10-18T17:15:00Z"
  }
}