CVE-2018-3753: Merge object Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-fp82-2h99-3fpp
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-1321 CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-3753 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Merge object libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in async merge-object. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2018-3753 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-3753
GHSA Identifier GHSA-fp82-2h99-3fpp
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Merge object
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-2018-3753

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

merge-object fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install merge-object@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 merge-object

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-3753, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls merge-object

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Merge object 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 merge-object 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-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution'), where the product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype. In Merge object, 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 utilities function in all versions of the merge-object node module can be tricked into modifying the prototype of Object when the attacker can control part of the structure passed to this function. This can let an attacker add or modify existing properties that will exist on all objects.

CVE-2018-3753 Affected Merge object Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
merge-object
npm/merge-object
npm
≤ 1.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2018-3753 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3753
hackerone.com/reports/310706 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/310706

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-3753?
CVE-2018-3753 is a security vulnerability in Merge object involving Prototype Pollution in async merge-object under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Merge object versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: merge-object.
What version fixes CVE-2018-3753?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is merge-object affected?
Yes, merge-object 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-2018-3753?
CVE-2018-3753 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-2018-3753?
CVE-2018-3753 is classified under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution') (The product receives input from an upstream component that specifies attributes that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control modifications of attributes of the object prototype.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2018-3753?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls merge-object'. 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-fp82-2h99-3fpp",
  "modified" : "2022-04-26T20:44:24Z",
  "published" : "2018-09-18T13:47:24Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-3753" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype Pollution in async merge-object",
  "details" : "The utilities function in all versions of the merge-object node module can be tricked into modifying the prototype of Object when the attacker can control part of the structure passed to this function. This can let an attacker add or modify existing properties that will exist on all objects.",
  "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" : "merge-object"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3753"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/310706"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321", "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:35:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}