CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-38552NVD status: Modified

Node: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-38552 is a high-severity insufficient verification of data authenticity vulnerability in Node from Node.js, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 4.*, 5.*, 6.* as the first without the flaw, so updating Node to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.24% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 70% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Node to 4.* or 5.* or 6.* or 7.*, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Node.jsNode4.0 up to, but not including, 4.*; 5.0 up to, but not including, 5.*; 6.0 up to, but not including, 6.*; 7.0 up to, but not including, 7.*; 8.0 up to, but not including, 8.*; 9.0 up to, but not including, 9.*; 10.0 up to, but not including, 10.*; 11.0 up to, but not including, 11.*; and 9 more ranges4.*, 5.*, 6.*, 7.*, 8.*, 9.*
Node.jsNode.js18.0.0 through 18.18.1; 20.1.0 through 20.8.0Not stated
Fedora ProjectFedora37; 38; 39Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.

Official description

When the Node.js policy feature checks the integrity of a resource against a trusted manifest, the application can intercept the operation and return a forged checksum to the node's policy implementation, thus effectively disabling the integrity check. Impacts: This vulnerability affects all users using the experimental policy mechanism in all active release lines: 18.x and, 20.x. Please note that at the time this CVE was issued, the policy mechanism is an experimental feature of Node.js.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity

The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, in a way that causes it to accept invalid data.

More Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity vulnerabilities (CWE-345)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other vulnerabilities in Node

All Node vulnerabilities

Recent Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity vulnerabilities

Spotted an error? Tell us.