CVE-2017-1001002: Mathjs Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vx5c-87qx-cv6c
CVSS 9.8
CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-1001002 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) arbitrary code execution vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Mathjs libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves arbitrary code execution in mathjs. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.17.0.

CVE-2017-1001002 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-1001002
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vx5c-87qx-cv6c
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Mathjs
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-2017-1001002

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

mathjs fixed: 3.17.0
npm install mathjs@3.17.0
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 mathjs

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2017-1001002, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls mathjs

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Mathjs in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.17.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls mathjs 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Mathjs, 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

math.js before 3.17.0 had an arbitrary code execution in the JavaScript engine. Creating a typed function with JavaScript code in the name could result arbitrary execution. ## Recommendation Update to version 3.17.0 or later.

CVE-2017-1001002 Affected Mathjs Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.17.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
mathjs
npm
< 3.17.0
3.17.0

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-1001002?
CVE-2017-1001002 is a security vulnerability in Mathjs involving Arbitrary Code Execution in mathjs under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Mathjs versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.17.0 across affected packages: mathjs.
What version fixes CVE-2017-1001002?
Upgrading to 3.17.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is mathjs affected?
Yes, mathjs is affected in releases prior to 3.17.0. Upgrade your dependency to 3.17.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-1001002?
CVE-2017-1001002 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-2017-1001002?
CVE-2017-1001002 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2017-1001002?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls mathjs'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-vx5c-87qx-cv6c",
  "modified" : "2021-06-10T20:06:12Z",
  "published" : "2017-12-18T22:27:45Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-1001002" ],
  "summary" : "Arbitrary Code Execution in mathjs",
  "details" : "math.js before 3.17.0 had an arbitrary code execution in the JavaScript engine. Creating a typed function with JavaScript code in the name could result arbitrary execution.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpdate to version 3.17.0 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" : "mathjs"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.17.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-1001002"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/josdejong/mathjs/commit/8d2d48d81b3c233fb64eb2ec1d7a9e1cf6a55a90"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vx5c-87qx-cv6c"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/josdejong/mathjs/blob/master/HISTORY.md#2017-11-18-version-3170"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/552"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:58:44Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}