CVE-2017-16026: request remote memory exposure in multipart handling

CVE-2017-16026 · Severity: low · CVSS 3 · Published 2018-11-09

The request HTTP client library for Node.js can leak local system memory to remote servers when processing multipart requests with numeric body values. An attacker can craft a malicious request that causes the library to allocate and send a buffer of arbitrary size containing uninitialized memory, potentially exposing sensitive data from the server's RAM to the attacker.

Technologies: request (npm). Vendors: npm.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2017-16026 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2017-16026 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2017-16026?
Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3, published 9 November 2018.
Which products and versions are affected?
request (npm) SEMVER:introduced=2.49.0,fixed=2.68.0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2017-16026?
Yes. request (npm): upgrade to 2.68.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2017-16026 attacked?
It is attacked over the network.
Am I affected by CVE-2017-16026?
Check whether you run request (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • request (npm): upgrade to 2.68.0 or later
    npm install request@2.68.0

Technical details

The vulnerability is a CWE-201 information disclosure flaw in request's multipart request handling. When a multipart request body parameter is set to a number (instead of a string or buffer), the library allocates a buffer of that size and sends it as-is to the remote server without clearing it first. This uninitialized memory may contain sensitive data from the server process. The attack requires only a crafted HTTP request; no authentication or user interaction is needed. An attacker can retrieve up to several hundred bytes of system memory with each request. The fix was released in version 2.68.0.

Affected products

  • request request 2.2.6 to 2.67.x

Identifiers

  • CVE-2017-16026
  • GHSA-7xfp-9c55-5vqj

Timeline

  • 2018-11-09: disclosed
  • 2017: patched: Fix released in version 2.68.0

References

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