CVE-2021-23399
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-23399 is a command injection vulnerability in the wincred npm package that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on systems using vulnerable versions. This occurs when untrusted user input reaches the getCredential function, which uses child_process.exec without proper sanitization. All applications using wincred are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- wincred npm package
📦 What is this software?
Wincred by Wincred Project
⚠️ 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
Full system compromise allowing attacker to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the wincred process, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or complete system takeover.
Likely Case
Limited command execution within the application's context, potentially allowing credential theft, lateral movement, or data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
No impact if input validation prevents untrusted data from reaching the vulnerable function or if the package is patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation is straightforward - attacker needs to control input to getCredential function. Public PoCs demonstrate command injection via shell metacharacters.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check npm registry for latest patched version
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/rolangom/wincred/security/advisories
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update wincred to latest version via npm update wincred. 2. Restart all Node.js applications using wincred. 3. Verify no regressions in credential management functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation wrapper
allImplement strict input validation before passing data to wincred functions
// JavaScript example: validate input before calling getCredential
function safeGetCredential(input) {
if (!/^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$/.test(input)) {
throw new Error('Invalid input');
}
return wincred.getCredential(input);
}
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all data passed to wincred functions
- Use alternative credential management libraries that don't have this vulnerability
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check package.json for wincred dependency and version. Vulnerable if using any version before the patched release.Check Version:
npm list wincredVerify Fix Applied:
Verify wincred version in package.json is updated to patched version and test credential functionality works without security issues.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual child process executions from Node.js applications
- Failed credential retrieval attempts with suspicious characters
- Error logs showing command execution failures
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from Node.js processes to unexpected destinations
- Command and control traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
process.name: "node" AND process.cmdline: (*cmd.exe* OR *powershell* OR *sh* OR *bash*) AND NOT process.cmdline: expected_normal_command