CVE-2021-43616
This behavior is inconsistent with the documentation, and makes it easier for attackers to install malware that was supposed to have been blocked by an exact version match requirement in package-lock.json.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (2.62%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
The npm ci command in npm 7.x and 8.x through 8.1.3 proceeds with an installation even if dependency information in package-lock.json differs from package.json. This behavior is inconsistent with the documentation, and makes it easier for attackers to install malware that was supposed to have been blocked by an exact version match requirement in package-lock.json. NOTE: The npm team believes this is not a vulnerability. It would require someone to socially engineer package.json which has different dependencies than package-lock.json. That user would have to have file system or write access to change dependencies. The npm team states preventing malicious actors from socially engineering or gaining file system access is outside the scope of the npm CLI.
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 2.62% probability · 85th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-345
- Affected
- npmjs/npm · netapp/next generation application programming interface · fedoraproject/fedora
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
References
- https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v7/commands/npm-ciProduct, Vendor Advisory
- https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v8/commands/npm-ci
- https://github.com/icatalina/CVE-2021-43616Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/npm/cli/commit/457e0ae61bbc55846f5af44afa4066921923490fPatch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/2701Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/2701#issuecomment-972900511
- https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/2701#issuecomment-979054224
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/NXNVFKOF5ZYH5NIRWHKN6O6UBCHDV6FE/
- https://medium.com/cider-sec/this-time-we-were-lucky-85c0dcac94a0Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211210-0002/Third Party Advisory
- https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v7/commands/npm-ciProduct, Vendor Advisory
- https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v8/commands/npm-ci
- https://github.com/icatalina/CVE-2021-43616Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/npm/cli/commit/457e0ae61bbc55846f5af44afa4066921923490fPatch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/2701Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/2701#issuecomment-972900511
- https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/2701#issuecomment-979054224
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/NXNVFKOF5ZYH5NIRWHKN6O6UBCHDV6FE/
- https://medium.com/cider-sec/this-time-we-were-lucky-85c0dcac94a0Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211210-0002/Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.