CVE-2018-7158 : Security Advisory and Response

Node.js 4.x release line has a vulnerability in the 'path' module related to regular expression denial of service (ReDoS). Learn about the impact, affected systems, and mitigation steps.

Understanding CVE-2018-7158

The Node.js 4.x release line vulnerability affects the 'path' module, potentially leading to denial of service attacks.

What is CVE-2018-7158?

The vulnerability in the 'path' module of Node.js 4.x allows an attacker to create a specific string that, when processed by certain functions, can cause a denial of service due to excessive evaluation time.

The Impact of CVE-2018-7158

The vulnerability affects all versions of Node.js 4.x
Attackers can exploit the 'splitPathRe' regular expression to trigger denial of service

Technical Details of CVE-2018-7158

The technical aspects of the vulnerability in Node.js 4.x 'path' module.

Vulnerability Description

The 'splitPathRe' regular expression in the 'path' module enables attackers to craft strings causing excessive evaluation time, leading to denial of service.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Node.js
Vendor: The Node.js Project
Affected Version: 4.x

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the 'splitPathRe' regular expression in functions like

path.dirname()

,

path.extname()

, and

path.parse()

to trigger denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2018-7158.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade to Node.js version 6.x or later
Implement input validation to prevent malicious inputs

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Node.js to the latest secure versions
Monitor and restrict resource consumption to mitigate denial of service attacks

Patching and Updates

Follow Node.js security advisories for patches and updates