CVE-2017-16072: Nodemailer.js Nodemailer.js Is Malware Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-j866-8vxx-27hx
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-506
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-16072 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) nodemailer.js is malware vulnerability (CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code) affecting Nodemailer.js libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves nodemailer.js is malware. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2017-16072 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-16072
GHSA Identifier GHSA-j866-8vxx-27hx
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code
Affected Product Nodemailer.js
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:3.0/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-2017-16072

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

nodemailer.js fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install nodemailer.js@Latest secure release
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 nodemailer.js

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2017-16072, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls nodemailer.js

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

Note: The npm ls nodemailer.js 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-506: Embedded Malicious Code, where the product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature. In Nodemailer.js, 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

The `nodemailer.js` package is a piece of malware that steals environment variables and sends them to attacker controlled locations. All versions have been unpublished from the npm registry. ## Recommendation As this package is malware, if you find it installed in your environment, the real security concern is determining how it got there. If you have found this installed in your environment, you should: 1. Delete the package 2. Clear your npm cache 3. Ensure it is not present in any other package.json files on your system 4. Regenerate your registry credentials, tokens, and any other sensitive credentials that may have been present in your environment variables. Additionally, any service which may have been exposed via credentials in your environment variables, such as a database, should be reviewed for indicators of compromise as well.

CVE-2017-16072 Affected Nodemailer.js Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
nodemailer.js
npm/nodemailer.js
npm
≤ 1.0.2

References

NVD — CVE-2017-16072 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16072
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-j866-8vxx-27hx
www.npmjs.com/advisories/511 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/511

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-16072?
CVE-2017-16072 is a security vulnerability in Nodemailer.js involving nodemailer.js is malware under CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code.
Which Nodemailer.js versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: nodemailer.js.
What version fixes CVE-2017-16072?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is nodemailer.js affected?
Yes, nodemailer.js is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-16072?
CVE-2017-16072 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-16072?
CVE-2017-16072 is classified under CWE-506: Embedded Malicious Code (The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2017-16072?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls nodemailer.js'. 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-j866-8vxx-27hx",
  "modified" : "2023-09-08T23:02:21Z",
  "published" : "2018-08-29T23:43:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-16072" ],
  "summary" : "nodemailer.js is malware",
  "details" : "The `nodemailer.js` package is a piece of malware that steals environment variables and sends them to attacker controlled locations. \n\nAll versions have been unpublished from the npm registry.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nAs this package is malware, if you find it installed in your environment, the real security concern is determining how it got there. \n\nIf you have found this installed in your environment, you should:\n1. Delete the package\n2. Clear your npm cache\n3. Ensure it is not present in any other package.json files on your system\n4. Regenerate your registry credentials, tokens, and any other sensitive credentials that may have been present in your environment variables. \n\nAdditionally, any service which may have been exposed via credentials in your environment variables, such as a database, should be reviewed for indicators of compromise as well.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "nodemailer.js"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.0.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-16072"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-j866-8vxx-27hx"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/511"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-506" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:42:35Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}