CVE-2020-7704: Linux cmdline Linux-cmdline Is Vulnerable To Prototype Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-2c29-wc65-4cx9
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-1321 CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-7704 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) linux-cmdline is vulnerable to prototype vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Linux cmdline libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves linux-cmdline is vulnerable to prototype pollution via the constructor. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.0.1.

CVE-2020-7704 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-7704
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2c29-wc65-4cx9
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Linux cmdline
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-2020-7704

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

linux-cmdline fixed: 1.0.1 
npm install linux-cmdline@1.0.1
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 linux-cmdline

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-7704, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls linux-cmdline

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Linux cmdline in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.0.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls linux-cmdline 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 Linux cmdline, 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 package linux-cmdline is a parser for Linux kernel command line arguments. Versions before 1.0.1 are vulnerable to Prototype Pollution via the constructor.

CVE-2020-7704 Affected Linux cmdline Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.0.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
linux-cmdline
npm/linux-cmdline
npm
< 1.0.1
1.0.1

References

NVD — CVE-2020-7704 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7704
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/piranna/linux-cmdline/commit/53c61a88bc47eb25d71832205056beaab95cf677
Linux cmdline Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/piranna/linux-cmdline
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-linuxc... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-LINUXCMDLINE-598674

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-7704?
CVE-2020-7704 is a security vulnerability in Linux cmdline involving linux-cmdline is vulnerable to Prototype Pollution via the constructor under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Linux cmdline versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.0.1 across affected packages: linux-cmdline.
What version fixes CVE-2020-7704?
Upgrading to 1.0.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is linux-cmdline affected?
Yes, linux-cmdline is affected in releases prior to 1.0.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.0.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-7704?
CVE-2020-7704 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-2020-7704?
CVE-2020-7704 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-2020-7704?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls linux-cmdline'. 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-2c29-wc65-4cx9",
  "modified" : "2022-12-05T23:17:26Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:26:04Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-7704" ],
  "summary" : "linux-cmdline is vulnerable to Prototype Pollution via the constructor",
  "details" : "The package linux-cmdline is a parser for Linux kernel command line arguments. Versions before 1.0.1 are vulnerable to Prototype Pollution via the constructor.",
  "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" : "linux-cmdline"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7704"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/piranna/linux-cmdline/commit/53c61a88bc47eb25d71832205056beaab95cf677"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/piranna/linux-cmdline"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-LINUXCMDLINE-598674"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321", "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-12-05T23:17:26Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-08-17T17:15:00Z"
  }
}