CVE-2018-13797
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-13797 is a critical command injection vulnerability in the Node.js macaddress module that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The vulnerability occurs because the module uses exec() instead of execFile() without proper input sanitization. Any application using vulnerable versions of this module is affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- node-macaddress
📦 What is this software?
Node Macaddress by Node Macaddress Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with remote code execution, allowing attackers to install malware, exfiltrate data, or pivot to other systems.
Likely Case
Remote code execution with the privileges of the Node.js process, potentially leading to data theft, service disruption, or lateral movement.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper input validation and sandboxing are implemented, though the vulnerability still exists.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation is straightforward if user input reaches vulnerable functions. The vulnerability is well-documented with public proof-of-concept examples.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 0.2.9 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/scravy/node-macaddress/releases/tag/0.2.9
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update package.json to require macaddress >=0.2.9. 2. Run 'npm update macaddress' or 'yarn upgrade macaddress'. 3. Restart the Node.js application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation
allImplement strict input validation for any parameters passed to macaddress functions
Process Sandboxing
linuxRun Node.js application with minimal privileges and in a containerized environment
docker run --read-only --cap-drop=ALL -u nobody node:alpine
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all user inputs
- Run the application with minimal privileges and in a sandboxed environment
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check package.json or run 'npm list macaddress' to see if version is below 0.2.9Check Version:
npm list macaddress | grep macaddressVerify Fix Applied:
Verify macaddress version is 0.2.9 or higher with 'npm list macaddress'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual command execution patterns
- Suspicious child process creation from Node.js
- Error logs showing command injection attempts
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from Node.js process
- Command and control traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
process.name:node.exe AND process.parent.name:node.exe AND process.cmdline:*cmd.exe* OR process.cmdline:*powershell*🔗 References
- https://github.com/scravy/node-macaddress/commit/358fd594adb196a86b94ac9c691f69fe5dad2332
- https://github.com/scravy/node-macaddress/pull/20/
- https://github.com/scravy/node-macaddress/releases/tag/0.2.9
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17283394
- https://github.com/scravy/node-macaddress/commit/358fd594adb196a86b94ac9c691f69fe5dad2332
- https://github.com/scravy/node-macaddress/pull/20/
- https://github.com/scravy/node-macaddress/releases/tag/0.2.9
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17283394
