CVE-2021-23771: Notevil Sandbox Escape Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8g4m-cjm2-96wq
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-1321
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-23771 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) sandbox escape vulnerability (CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')) affecting Notevil libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves sandbox escape in notevil and argencoders-notevil. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-23771 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-23771
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8g4m-cjm2-96wq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')
Affected Product Notevil
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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:L/I:L/A:N).

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 Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-23771

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

notevil fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install notevil@Latest secure release
argencoders-notevil fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install argencoders-notevil@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 notevil

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-23771, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls notevil

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Notevil 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 notevil 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 Notevil, 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 all versions of package notevil; all versions of package argencoders-notevil. It is vulnerable to Sandbox Escape leading to Prototype pollution. The package fails to restrict access to the main context, allowing an attacker to add or modify an object's prototype. **Note:** This vulnerability derives from an incomplete fix in [SNYK-JS-NOTEVIL-608878](https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-NOTEVIL-608878). This package has been deprecated.

CVE-2021-23771 Affected Notevil Versions

2 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
notevil
npm/notevil
npm
≤ 1.3.3
argencoders-notevil
npm/argencoders-notevil
npm
≤ 2.5.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-23771 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23771
Notevil Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/mmckegg/notevil
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-argenc... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-ARGENCODERSNOTEVIL-2388587
snyk.io/vuln/snyk-js-notevi... WEB
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-NOTEVIL-2385946

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23771?
CVE-2021-23771 is a security vulnerability in Notevil involving Sandbox escape in notevil and argencoders-notevil under CWE-1321: Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution').
Which Notevil versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: notevil, argencoders-notevil.
What version fixes CVE-2021-23771?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is notevil affected?
Yes, notevil is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
Is argencoders-notevil affected?
Yes, argencoders-notevil 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-2021-23771?
CVE-2021-23771 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-23771?
CVE-2021-23771 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-2021-23771?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls notevil'. 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-8g4m-cjm2-96wq",
  "modified" : "2022-03-25T16:47:42Z",
  "published" : "2022-03-18T00:01:11Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-23771" ],
  "summary" : "Sandbox escape in notevil and argencoders-notevil",
  "details" : "This affects all versions of package notevil; all versions of package argencoders-notevil. It is vulnerable to Sandbox Escape leading to Prototype pollution. The package fails to restrict access to the main context, allowing an attacker to add or modify an object's prototype. **Note:** This vulnerability derives from an incomplete fix in [SNYK-JS-NOTEVIL-608878](https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-NOTEVIL-608878). This package has been deprecated.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "notevil"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.3.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "argencoders-notevil"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.5.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23771"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/mmckegg/notevil"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-ARGENCODERSNOTEVIL-2388587"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-NOTEVIL-2385946"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-1321" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-03-18T23:07:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-03-17T12:15:00Z"
  }
}