CVE-2019-5448: Yarn Missing Encryption Of Sensitive Data Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wqfc-cr59-h64p
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-319 CWE-311
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-5448 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) missing encryption of sensitive data vulnerability (CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) affecting Yarn libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves missing encryption of sensitive data in yarn. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.17.3.

CVE-2019-5448 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-5448
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wqfc-cr59-h64p
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information
Affected Product Yarn
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
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-2019-5448

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

yarn fixed: 1.17.3 
npm install yarn@1.17.3
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 yarn

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-5448, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls yarn

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Yarn in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.17.3), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls yarn 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-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information, where the product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors. In Yarn, 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

Yarn before 1.17.3 is vulnerable to Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data due to HTTP URLs in lockfile causing unencrypted authentication data to be sent over the network.

CVE-2019-5448 Affected Yarn Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.17.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
yarn
npm/yarn
npm
< 1.17.3
1.17.3

References

NVD — CVE-2019-5448 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5448
hackerone.com/reports/640904 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/640904
Yarn Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ChALkeR/notes/blob/master/Yarn-vuln.md
Yarn Security Information SECURITY
https://yarnpkg.com/blog/2019/07/12/recommended-security-update

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-5448?
CVE-2019-5448 is a security vulnerability in Yarn involving Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data in yarn under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information.
Which Yarn versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.17.3 across affected packages: yarn.
What version fixes CVE-2019-5448?
Upgrading to 1.17.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is yarn affected?
Yes, yarn is affected in releases prior to 1.17.3. Upgrade your dependency to 1.17.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-5448?
CVE-2019-5448 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-5448?
CVE-2019-5448 is classified under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (The product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2019-5448?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls yarn'. 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-wqfc-cr59-h64p",
  "modified" : "2021-08-17T19:40:44Z",
  "published" : "2019-07-31T04:22:15Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-5448" ],
  "summary" : "Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data in yarn",
  "details" : "Yarn before 1.17.3 is vulnerable to Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data due to HTTP URLs in lockfile causing unencrypted authentication data to be sent over the network.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "yarn"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.17.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5448"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/640904"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ChALkeR/notes/blob/master/Yarn-vuln.md"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://yarnpkg.com/blog/2019/07/12/recommended-security-update"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-311", "CWE-319" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-07-31T03:41:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-07-30T21:15:00Z"
  }
}