CVE-2015-8851: Node uuid Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-265q-28rp-chq5
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-331
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2015-8851 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-331: Insufficient Entropy) affecting Node uuid libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves insecure entropy source - math.random() in node-uuid. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.4.4.

CVE-2015-8851 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2015-8851
GHSA Identifier GHSA-265q-28rp-chq5
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-331: Insufficient Entropy
Affected Product Node uuid
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:H/I:N/A:N).

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 None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2015-8851

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Node uuid 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-uuid fixed: 1.4.4 
npm install node-uuid@1.4.4
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 node-uuid

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2015-8851, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls node-uuid

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Node uuid in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.4.4), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls node-uuid 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-331: Insufficient Entropy, where the product uses an algorithm or scheme that produces insufficient entropy, leaving patterns or clusters of values that are more likely to occur than others. In Node uuid, 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

Affected versions of `node-uuid` consistently fall back to using `Math.random` as an entropy source instead of `crypto`, which may result in guessable UUID's. ## Recommendation Update to version 1.4.4 or later.

CVE-2015-8851 Affected Node uuid Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.4.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
node-uuid
npm/node-uuid
npm
< 1.4.4
1.4.4

References

www.npmjs.com/advisories/93 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/93
Node uuid Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/04/13/8
NVD — CVE-2015-8851 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-8851
Node uuid Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/broofa/node-uuid/issues/108
Node uuid Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/broofa/node-uuid/issues/122
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/broofa/node-uuid/commit/672f3834ed02c798aa021c618d0a5666c8da000d
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1327056

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-8851?
CVE-2015-8851 is a security vulnerability in Node uuid involving Insecure Entropy Source - Math.random() in node-uuid under CWE-331: Insufficient Entropy.
Which Node uuid versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.4 across affected packages: node-uuid.
What version fixes CVE-2015-8851?
Upgrading to 1.4.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is node-uuid affected?
Yes, node-uuid is affected in releases prior to 1.4.4. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2015-8851?
CVE-2015-8851 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:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2015-8851?
CVE-2015-8851 is classified under CWE-331: Insufficient Entropy (The product uses an algorithm or scheme that produces insufficient entropy, leaving patterns or clusters of values that are more likely to occur than others.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2015-8851?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls node-uuid'. 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-265q-28rp-chq5",
  "modified" : "2021-08-23T15:25:55Z",
  "published" : "2020-04-16T03:14:50Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2015-8851" ],
  "summary" : "Insecure Entropy Source - Math.random() in node-uuid",
  "details" : "Affected versions of `node-uuid` consistently fall back to using `Math.random` as an entropy source instead of `crypto`, which may result in guessable UUID's.\n\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 1.4.4 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "node-uuid"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.4.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-8851"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/broofa/node-uuid/issues/108"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/broofa/node-uuid/issues/122"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/broofa/node-uuid/commit/672f3834ed02c798aa021c618d0a5666c8da000d"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1327056"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/93"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/04/13/8"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-331" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-04-16T02:58:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}