CVE-2020-7723
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-7723 is a prototype pollution vulnerability in the promisehelpers npm package that allows attackers to inject arbitrary properties into JavaScript objects, potentially leading to remote code execution or denial of service. All applications using any version of promisehelpers are affected. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through user-controlled input.
💻 Affected Systems
- promisehelpers npm package
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Denial of service, application crashes, or unauthorized data manipulation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if input validation and sanitization prevent malicious payloads from reaching vulnerable functions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user-controlled input reaching the vulnerable insert function. Proof-of-concept code is publicly available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: N/A
Vendor Advisory: https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-PROMISEHELPERS-598686
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Remove promisehelpers package from your project. 2. Find alternative promise utilities. 3. Update package.json to remove dependency. 4. Run npm uninstall promisehelpers. 5. Restart all affected applications.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation and sanitization
allImplement strict input validation to prevent malicious objects from reaching the insert function.
Object.freeze() on critical objects
allUse Object.freeze() to prevent modification of critical object prototypes.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all user inputs
- Isolate affected applications in network segments with limited access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check package.json or package-lock.json for promisehelpers dependency. Run: npm list promisehelpersCheck Version:
npm list promisehelpersVerify Fix Applied:
Verify promisehelpers is no longer in package.json and npm list shows no promisehelpers package.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual application crashes
- Unexpected property modifications in objects
- Memory usage spikes
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Node.js processes
- Unexpected HTTP requests containing object manipulation patterns
SIEM Query:
source="application_logs" AND ("promisehelpers" OR "insert function" OR "prototype pollution")