CVE-2020-7627: Node key sender OS Command Injection Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4xrw-wvmq-8jmh
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-78
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-7627 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) os command injection vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Node key sender libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves os command injection in node-key-sender. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2020-7627 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-7627
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4xrw-wvmq-8jmh
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Affected Product Node key sender
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:3.1/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-2020-7627

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

node-key-sender fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install node-key-sender@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 node-key-sender

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-7627, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls node-key-sender

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Node key sender 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 node-key-sender 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-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Node key sender, 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

node-key-sender through 1.0.11 is vulnerable to Command Injection. It allows execution of arbitrary commands via the 'arrParams' argument in the 'execute()' function.

CVE-2020-7627 Affected Node key sender Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
node-key-sender
npm/node-key-sender
npm
≤ 1.0.11

References

NVD — CVE-2020-7627 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7627
Node key sender Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/garimpeiro-it/node-key-sender/blob/master/key-sender.js#L117
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-nodeke... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-NODEKEYSENDER-564261

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-7627?
CVE-2020-7627 is a security vulnerability in Node key sender involving OS Command Injection in node-key-sender under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection').
Which Node key sender versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: node-key-sender.
What version fixes CVE-2020-7627?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is node-key-sender affected?
Yes, node-key-sender 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-2020-7627?
CVE-2020-7627 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-7627?
CVE-2020-7627 is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2020-7627?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls node-key-sender'. 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-4xrw-wvmq-8jmh",
  "modified" : "2026-07-06T15:51:09Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-10T23:46:11Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-7627" ],
  "summary" : "OS Command Injection in node-key-sender",
  "details" : "node-key-sender through 1.0.11 is vulnerable to Command Injection. It allows execution of arbitrary commands via the 'arrParams' argument in the 'execute()' function.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "node-key-sender"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.0.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7627"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/garimpeiro-it/node-key-sender/blob/master/key-sender.js#L117"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-NODEKEYSENDER-564261"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-18T23:40:44Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-04-02T22:15:00Z"
  }
}