CVE-2014-4616: Simplejson Simplejson Before 2.6.1 Vulnerable To Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9772-cwx9-r4cj
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CVSS 5.9
CWE-129
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-4616 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) simplejson before 2.6.1 vulnerable to vulnerability (CWE-129: Improper Validation of Array Index) affecting Simplejson libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves simplejson before 2.6.1 vulnerable to array index error. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.6.1.

CVE-2014-4616 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-4616
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9772-cwx9-r4cj
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-129: Improper Validation of Array Index
Affected Product Simplejson
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2014-4616

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

simplejson fixed: 2.6.1 
pip install simplejson>=2.6.1
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show simplejson

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2014-4616, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show simplejson

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Simplejson in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.6.1), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show simplejson command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-129: Improper Validation of Array Index, where the product uses untrusted input when calculating or using an array index, but the product does not validate or incorrectly validates the index to ensure the index references a valid position within the array. In Simplejson, 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

Array index error in the scanstring function in the _json module in Python 2.7 through 3.5 and simplejson before 2.6.1 allows context-dependent attackers to read arbitrary process memory via a negative index value in the idx argument to the raw_decode function.

CVE-2014-4616 Affected Simplejson Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.6.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
simplejson
pypi/simplejson
PyPI
< 2.6.1
2.6.1

References

NVD — CVE-2014-4616 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4616
hackerone.com/reports/12297 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/12297
bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.c... WEB
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=752395
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1112285
Simplejson Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/simplejson/simplejson
Simplejson Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201503-10
bugs.python.org/issue21529 WEB
http://bugs.python.org/issue21529
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2014-07/msg00015.html
Simplejson Security Information SECURITY
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/06/24/7
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2015-10... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1064.html
Simplejson Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/68119

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-4616?
CVE-2014-4616 is a security vulnerability in Simplejson involving simplejson before 2.6.1 vulnerable to array index error under CWE-129: Improper Validation of Array Index.
Which Simplejson versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.6.1 across affected packages: simplejson.
What version fixes CVE-2014-4616?
Upgrading to 2.6.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is simplejson affected?
Yes, simplejson is affected in releases prior to 2.6.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.6.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2014-4616?
CVE-2014-4616 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-4616?
CVE-2014-4616 is classified under CWE-129: Improper Validation of Array Index (The product uses untrusted input when calculating or using an array index, but the product does not validate or incorrectly validates the index to ensure the index references a valid position within the array.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2014-4616?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show simplejson'. 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-9772-cwx9-r4cj",
  "modified" : "2022-07-27T21:35:21Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T02:05:09Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-4616" ],
  "summary" : "simplejson before 2.6.1 vulnerable to array index error",
  "details" : "Array index error in the scanstring function in the _json module in Python 2.7 through 3.5 and simplejson before 2.6.1 allows context-dependent attackers to read arbitrary process memory via a negative index value in the idx argument to the raw_decode function.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "simplejson"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.6.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-4616"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/12297"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=752395"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1112285"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/simplejson/simplejson"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201503-10"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://bugs.python.org/issue21529"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2014-07/msg00015.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/06/24/7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1064.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/68119"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-129" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-27T21:35:21Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-08-24T20:29:00Z"
  }
}