CVE-2017-1001003: Mathjs Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pv8x-p9hq-j328
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-88
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-1001003 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) arbitrary code execution vulnerability (CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument 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-2017-1001003 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-1001003
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pv8x-p9hq-j328
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument 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-2017-1001003

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-2017-1001003, 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-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection'), where the product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string. 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 issue where private properties such as a constructor could be replaced by using unicode characters when creating an object. ## Recommendation Upgrade to version 3.17.0 or later.

CVE-2017-1001003 Affected Mathjs Versions

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

References

NVD — CVE-2017-1001003 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-1001003
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/josdejong/mathjs/commit/a60f3c8d9dd714244aed7a5569c3dccaa3a4e761
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pv8x-p9hq-j328
Mathjs Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/josdejong/mathjs/blob/master/HISTORY.md#2017-11-18-version-3170
www.npmjs.com/advisories/551 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/551

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-1001003?
CVE-2017-1001003 is a security vulnerability in Mathjs involving Arbitrary Code Execution in mathjs under CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection').
Which Mathjs versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.17.0 across affected packages: mathjs.
What version fixes CVE-2017-1001003?
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-2017-1001003?
CVE-2017-1001003 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-2017-1001003?
CVE-2017-1001003 is classified under CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection') (The product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2017-1001003?
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
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-pv8x-p9hq-j328",
  "modified" : "2023-09-12T18:41:33Z",
  "published" : "2017-12-18T22:27:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-1001003" ],
  "summary" : "Arbitrary Code Execution in mathjs",
  "details" : "math.js before 3.17.0 had an issue where private properties such as a constructor could be replaced by using unicode characters when creating an object.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpgrade 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-2017-1001003"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/josdejong/mathjs/commit/a60f3c8d9dd714244aed7a5569c3dccaa3a4e761"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pv8x-p9hq-j328"
  }, {
    "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/551"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-88" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:50:06Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}