CVE-2020-8237: Json bigint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wgfq-7857-4jcc
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-8237 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Json bigint libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves uncontrolled resource consumption in json-bigint. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.0.0.

CVE-2020-8237 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-8237
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wgfq-7857-4jcc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Json bigint
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-2020-8237

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

json-bigint fixed: 1.0.0 
npm install json-bigint@1.0.0
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 json-bigint

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-8237, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls json-bigint

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Json bigint in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.0.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls json-bigint 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 Json bigint, 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

Prototype pollution in json-bigint npm package < 1.0.0 may lead to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.

CVE-2020-8237 Affected Json bigint Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.0.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
json-bigint
npm/json-bigint
npm
< 1.0.0
1.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2020-8237 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8237
hackerone.com/reports/916430 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/916430

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-8237?
CVE-2020-8237 is a security vulnerability in Json bigint involving Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in json-bigint under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Json bigint versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.0.0 across affected packages: json-bigint.
What version fixes CVE-2020-8237?
Upgrading to 1.0.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is json-bigint affected?
Yes, json-bigint is affected in releases prior to 1.0.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.0.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-8237?
CVE-2020-8237 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-2020-8237?
CVE-2020-8237 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-2020-8237?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls json-bigint'. 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-wgfq-7857-4jcc",
  "modified" : "2021-04-28T16:57:11Z",
  "published" : "2021-05-07T16:47:19Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-8237" ],
  "summary" : "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in json-bigint",
  "details" : "Prototype pollution in json-bigint npm package < 1.0.0 may lead to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.",
  "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" : "json-bigint"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8237"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/916430"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-28T16:57:11Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-09-18T21:15:00Z"
  }
}