CVE-2021-38299: Web auth/webauthn framework Improper Access Control Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6whf-q6p5-84wg
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-38299 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) improper access control vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting Web auth/webauthn framework libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves improper access control in webauthn framework. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.3.4.

CVE-2021-38299 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-38299
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6whf-q6p5-84wg
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
Affected Product Web auth/webauthn framework
Package Ecosystem Packagist
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-2021-38299

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

web-auth/webauthn-framework fixed: 3.3.4 
Upgrade web-auth/webauthn-framework to 3.3.4
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for web-auth/webauthn-framework

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-38299, inspect your project dependencies for Web auth/webauthn framework:

inspect dependencies for web-auth/webauthn-framework

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Web auth/webauthn framework in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.3.4), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization, where the product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. In Web auth/webauthn framework, 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

Webauthn Framework 3.3.x before 3.3.4 has Incorrect Access Control. An attacker that controls a user's system is able to login to a vulnerable service using an attached FIDO2 authenticator without passing a check of the user presence.

CVE-2021-38299 Affected Web auth/webauthn framework Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.3.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
web-auth/webauthn-framework
 Packagist
≥ 3.3.0
< 3.3.4
3.3.4

References

NVD — CVE-2021-38299 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38299
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework/commit/572e239c5702667ca52487faf861abc768a46308
Web auth/webauthn framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework
Web auth/webauthn framework Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework/releases
Web auth/webauthn framework Release RELEASE
https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework/releases/tag/v3.3.4
www.fzi.de/en/news/news/detail... WEB
https://www.fzi.de/en/news/news/detail-en/artikel/fsa-2021-1-fehlende-ueberpruefung-von-user-presence-in-webauthn-framework

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-38299?
CVE-2021-38299 is a security vulnerability in Web auth/webauthn framework involving Improper Access Control in Webauthn Framework under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which Web auth/webauthn framework versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.3.4 across affected packages: web-auth/webauthn-framework.
What version fixes CVE-2021-38299?
Upgrading to 3.3.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is web-auth/webauthn-framework affected?
Yes, web-auth/webauthn-framework is affected in releases prior to 3.3.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.3.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-38299?
CVE-2021-38299 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-2021-38299?
CVE-2021-38299 is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization (The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-38299?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for web-auth/webauthn-framework'. 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-6whf-q6p5-84wg",
  "modified" : "2021-10-06T13:23:34Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-29T17:16:07Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-38299" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Access Control in Webauthn Framework",
  "details" : "Webauthn Framework 3.3.x before 3.3.4 has Incorrect Access Control. An attacker that controls a user's system is able to login to a vulnerable service using an attached FIDO2 authenticator without passing a check of the user presence.",
  "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" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "web-auth/webauthn-framework"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.3.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38299"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework/commit/572e239c5702667ca52487faf861abc768a46308"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework/releases"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/web-auth/webauthn-framework/releases/tag/v3.3.4"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.fzi.de/en/news/news/detail-en/artikel/fsa-2021-1-fehlende-ueberpruefung-von-user-presence-in-webauthn-framework"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-28T21:04:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-09-27T06:15:00Z"
  }
}