CVE-2020-28274
📋 TL;DR
This is a prototype pollution vulnerability in the 'deepref' npm package that allows attackers to modify object prototypes, potentially leading to denial of service or remote code execution. It affects applications using vulnerable versions of the deepref library for deep object referencing operations.
💻 Affected Systems
- deepref npm package
📦 What is this software?
Deepref by Deepref Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Denial of service through application crashes or instability, with potential for limited code execution in specific configurations.
If Mitigated
Application errors or crashes without code execution if input validation or sandboxing is implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Prototype pollution vulnerabilities are well-understood attack vectors with available exploitation techniques.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.2.2 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/isaymatato/deepref/commit/24935e6a1060cb09c641d3075982f0b44cfca4c2
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update package.json to specify deepref version 1.2.2 or later. 2. Run 'npm update deepref' or 'yarn upgrade deepref'. 3. Restart your application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation
allImplement strict input validation to reject malformed objects that could trigger prototype pollution.
Object.freeze() on Prototypes
allFreeze Object.prototype and other base prototypes to prevent pollution.
Object.freeze(Object.prototype);
Object.freeze(Object);
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all objects processed by deepref.
- Isolate the vulnerable component in a sandboxed environment with limited permissions.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check package.json or run 'npm list deepref' to see if version is between 1.1.1 and 1.2.1 inclusive.Check Version:
npm list deepref | grep deeprefVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm deepref version is 1.2.2 or later using 'npm list deepref' and test with known malicious payloads.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected application crashes
- Unusual object manipulation errors
- Memory exhaustion warnings
Network Indicators:
- Unusual HTTP POST/PUT requests with complex nested objects
- Requests to object manipulation endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="application.log" AND ("deepref" OR "prototype" OR "pollution") AND (error OR crash OR exception)🔗 References
- https://www.whitesourcesoftware.com/vulnerability-database/CVE-2020-28274%2Chttps://github.com/isaymatato/deepref/commit/24935e6a1060cb09c641d3075982f0b44cfca4c2
- https://www.whitesourcesoftware.com/vulnerability-database/CVE-2020-28274%2Chttps://github.com/isaymatato/deepref/commit/24935e6a1060cb09c641d3075982f0b44cfca4c2
