CVE-2018-16486: Defaults deep Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pjxw-22xf-6pwc
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-400 CWE-345
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-16486 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Defaults deep libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in defaults-deep. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2018-16486 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-16486
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pjxw-22xf-6pwc
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Defaults deep
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-2018-16486

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

defaults-deep fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install defaults-deep@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 defaults-deep

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-16486, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls defaults-deep

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Defaults deep 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 defaults-deep 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-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Defaults deep, 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

All versions of `defaults-deep` are vulnerable to prototype pollution. Provided certain input `defaults-deep` can add or modify properties of the `Object` prototype. These properties will be present on all objects. ## Recommendation As no patch is currently available for this vulnerability it is our recommendation to select another module that can provide this functionality.

CVE-2018-16486 Affected Defaults deep Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
defaults-deep
npm/defaults-deep
npm
≤ 0.2.4

References

NVD — CVE-2018-16486 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16486
hackerone.com/reports/380878 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/380878
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pjxw-22xf-6pwc
Defaults deep Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jonschlinkert/defaults-deep
www.npmjs.com/advisories/778 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/778

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16486?
CVE-2018-16486 is a security vulnerability in Defaults deep involving Prototype Pollution in defaults-deep under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Defaults deep versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: defaults-deep.
What version fixes CVE-2018-16486?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is defaults-deep affected?
Yes, defaults-deep 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-2018-16486?
CVE-2018-16486 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-2018-16486?
CVE-2018-16486 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2018-16486?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls defaults-deep'. 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-pjxw-22xf-6pwc",
  "modified" : "2023-09-12T21:05:03Z",
  "published" : "2019-02-07T18:16:38Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16486" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in defaults-deep",
  "details" : "All versions of `defaults-deep` are vulnerable to prototype pollution. Provided certain input `defaults-deep` can add or modify properties of the `Object` prototype. These properties will be present on all objects.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nAs no patch is currently available for this vulnerability it is our recommendation to select another module that can provide this functionality.",
  "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" : "defaults-deep"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "0.2.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16486"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/380878"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pjxw-22xf-6pwc"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jonschlinkert/defaults-deep"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/778"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-345", "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:49:31Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}