CVE-2023-3696: Mongoose prototype pollution vulnerability

CVE-2023-3696 · Severity: low · CVSS 3 · Published 2023-07-17

Mongoose is a widely-used Node.js library for database modeling and interaction. A prototype pollution flaw allows attackers to inject and manipulate object properties on the application level, potentially corrupting application state, causing denial of service, or enabling unauthorized data access. The vulnerability affects multiple major versions and requires network access to exploit.

Technologies: mongoose (npm). Vendors: npm.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2023-3696 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2023-3696 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2023-3696?
Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3, published 17 July 2023.
Which products and versions are affected?
mongoose (npm) SEMVER:introduced=7.0.0,fixed=7.3.3.
Is there a fix for CVE-2023-3696?
Yes. mongoose (npm): upgrade to 7.3.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2023-3696 attacked?
It is attacked over the network.
Am I affected by CVE-2023-3696?
Check whether you run mongoose (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

  • mongoose (npm): upgrade to 7.3.3 or later
    npm install mongoose@7.3.3

Technical details

The vulnerability is a prototype pollution flaw (CWE-1321) in Mongoose prior to versions 7.3.3, 6.11.3, and 5.13.20. The root cause lies in unsafe property assignment during initialization that does not properly sanitize input for prototype keywords. An attacker on the network can send specially crafted input containing prototype-polluting payloads via the affected application, with no authentication required. Successful exploitation allows modification of the Object prototype, affecting all objects in the application and potentially leading to denial of service or information disclosure. Patches are available in versions 7.3.3, 6.11.3, and 5.13.20.

Affected products

  • Automattic Mongoose before 5.13.20, 6.0.0 before 6.11.3, 7.0.0 before 7.3.3

Identifiers

  • CVE-2023-3696
  • GHSA-9m93-w8w6-76hh

Timeline

  • 2023-07-17: disclosed: Vulnerability published
  • 2023-07-17: patched: Patches released in versions 5.13.20, 6.11.3, and 7.3.3

References

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