CVE-2020-7738: Shiba Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jvf4-g24p-2qgw
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CVSS 8.3
CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-7738 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.3) arbitrary code execution vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Shiba libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves arbitrary code execution in shiba. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2020-7738 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-7738
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jvf4-g24p-2qgw
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.3
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Shiba
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.3

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2020-7738

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

shiba fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install shiba@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 shiba

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-7738, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls shiba

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Shiba 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 shiba 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Shiba, 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

All versions of package shiba are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution due to the default usage of the function `load()` of the package js-yaml instead of its secure replacement , `safeLoad()`.

CVE-2020-7738 Affected Shiba Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
shiba
npm/shiba
npm
≤ 1.2.1

References

NVD — CVE-2020-7738 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7738
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-shiba-... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-SHIBA-596466
www.npmjs.com/package/shiba WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/package/shiba

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-7738?
CVE-2020-7738 is a security vulnerability in Shiba involving Arbitrary Code Execution in shiba under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Shiba versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: shiba.
What version fixes CVE-2020-7738?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is shiba affected?
Yes, shiba 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-2020-7738?
CVE-2020-7738 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.3 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-7738?
CVE-2020-7738 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2020-7738?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls shiba'. 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-jvf4-g24p-2qgw",
  "modified" : "2023-09-07T18:56:23Z",
  "published" : "2021-05-10T18:37:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-7738" ],
  "summary" : "Arbitrary Code Execution in shiba",
  "details" : "All versions of package shiba are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution due to the default usage of the function `load()` of the package js-yaml instead of its secure replacement , `safeLoad()`.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "shiba"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.2.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7738"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-SHIBA-596466"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/package/shiba"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-22T22:20:49Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-10-02T10:15:00Z"
  }
}