CVE-2020-28460: Multi ini Prototype Pollution Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-67mq-h2r9-rh2m
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CVSS 5.6
CWE-1321
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-28460 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.6) prototype pollution vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Multi ini libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves prototype pollution in multi-ini. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.2.

CVE-2020-28460 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-28460
GHSA Identifier GHSA-67mq-h2r9-rh2m
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.6
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Multi ini
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.6

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).

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 Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2020-28460

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

multi-ini fixed: 2.1.2 
npm install multi-ini@2.1.2
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 multi-ini

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-28460, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls multi-ini

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Multi ini in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.2), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls multi-ini 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 Multi ini, 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

This affects the package multi-ini before 2.1.2. It is possible to pollute an object's prototype by specifying the constructor.proto object as part of an array. This is a bypass of CVE-2020-28448.

CVE-2020-28460 Affected Multi ini Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
multi-ini
npm/multi-ini
npm
< 2.1.2
2.1.2

References

NVD — CVE-2020-28460 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-28460
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/evangelion1204/multi-ini/commit/6b2212b2ce152c19538a2431415f72942c5a1bde
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-multii... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-MULTIINI-1053229

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-28460?
CVE-2020-28460 is a security vulnerability in Multi ini involving Prototype pollution in multi-ini under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Multi ini versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.2 across affected packages: multi-ini.
What version fixes CVE-2020-28460?
Upgrading to 2.1.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is multi-ini affected?
Yes, multi-ini is affected in releases prior to 2.1.2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-28460?
CVE-2020-28460 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.6 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-28460?
CVE-2020-28460 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-2020-28460?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls multi-ini'. 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-67mq-h2r9-rh2m",
  "modified" : "2022-12-03T03:51:28Z",
  "published" : "2021-04-13T15:23:41Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-28460" ],
  "summary" : "Prototype pollution in multi-ini",
  "details" : "This affects the package multi-ini before 2.1.2. It is possible to pollute an object's prototype by specifying the constructor.proto object as part of an array. This is a bypass of CVE-2020-28448.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "multi-ini"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-28460"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/evangelion1204/multi-ini/commit/6b2212b2ce152c19538a2431415f72942c5a1bde"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-MULTIINI-1053229"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-07T23:23:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-12-22T13:15:00Z"
  }
}