CVE-2020-8141: Dot Improper Control Of Generation Of Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-297x-8xj4-vcxv
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-8141 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) improper control of generation of vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Dot libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves improper control of generation of code in dot. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.1.3.

CVE-2020-8141 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-8141
GHSA Identifier GHSA-297x-8xj4-vcxv
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Dot
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

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:H).

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 High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2020-8141

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

dot fixed: 1.1.3 
npm install dot@1.1.3
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 dot

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-8141, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls dot

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Dot in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.1.3), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls dot 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 Dot, 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 dot package v1.1.2 uses Function() to compile templates. This can be exploited by the attacker if they can control the given template or if they can control the value set on Object.prototype.

CVE-2020-8141 Affected Dot Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.1.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
dot
npm/dot
npm
< 1.1.3
1.1.3

References

NVD — CVE-2020-8141 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8141
hackerone.com/reports/390929 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/390929

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-8141?
CVE-2020-8141 is a security vulnerability in Dot involving Improper Control of Generation of Code in doT under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Dot versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.1.3 across affected packages: dot.
What version fixes CVE-2020-8141?
Upgrading to 1.1.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is dot affected?
Yes, dot is affected in releases prior to 1.1.3. Upgrade your dependency to 1.1.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-8141?
CVE-2020-8141 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-8141?
CVE-2020-8141 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-2020-8141?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls dot'. 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-297x-8xj4-vcxv",
  "modified" : "2022-06-23T06:55:22Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T17:11:32Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-8141" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Control of Generation of Code in doT",
  "details" : "The dot package v1.1.2 uses Function() to compile templates. This can be exploited by the attacker if they can control the given template or if they can control the value set on Object.prototype.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "dot"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.1.3"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.1.2"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8141"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/390929"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-23T06:55:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-15T18:15:00Z"
  }
}