CVE-2023-46308
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a prototype pollution vulnerability in plotly.js that allows attackers to modify object prototypes through plot API calls. This affects any web application using vulnerable versions of plotly.js for data visualization. Attackers could potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service.
💻 Affected Systems
- plotly.js
- Plotly Dash
- Plotly for R
- Plotly for Python
- Any application embedding plotly.js
📦 What is this software?
Plotly.js by Plotly
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Denial of service, data manipulation, or privilege escalation within the application context.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and sandboxing, potentially causing application instability.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting malicious plot API calls. While no public PoC exists, the vulnerability is well-documented and could be weaponized.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.25.2 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/plotly/plotly.js/releases/tag/v2.25.2
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update plotly.js dependency to version 2.25.2 or later. 2. Update package.json or equivalent dependency file. 3. Run npm update plotly.js or equivalent package manager command. 4. Rebuild and redeploy application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation and sanitization
allImplement strict input validation for all plot API calls to prevent prototype pollution payloads.
// JavaScript example: Validate plot data objects before passing to plotly.js
function sanitizePlotData(data) {
// Remove __proto__ and similar dangerous properties
delete data.__proto__;
delete data.constructor;
delete data.prototype;
return data;
}
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) to restrict script execution
- Use web application firewall (WAF) rules to block prototype pollution patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check package.json or equivalent for plotly.js version. If version is below 2.25.2, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
npm list plotly.js | grep plotly.jsVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plotly.js version is 2.25.2 or higher in package.json and in running application.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual plot API calls with __proto__ or constructor properties
- JavaScript errors related to prototype modification
- Unexpected object property modifications
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing __proto__ in plot data payloads
- Unusual data patterns in plot API endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (__proto__ OR constructor.prototype) AND path="*plot*"