CVE-2021-40899 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDOS) vulnerability was discovered in repo-git-downloader v0.1.1 when downloading crafted invalid git repositories.

Understanding CVE-2021-40899

A Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDOS) vulnerability affects repo-git-downloader v0.1.1, potentially leading to denial of service.

What is CVE-2021-40899?

CVE-2021-40899 is a ReDoS vulnerability in repo-git-downloader v0.1.1 that occurs when processing specially crafted invalid git repositories.

The Impact of CVE-2021-40899

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to launch a denial of service attack by causing excessive CPU consumption, leading to service unavailability.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-40899

This section covers the technical aspects related to CVE-2021-40899.

Vulnerability Description

Type: Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDOS)
Affected Component: repo-git-downloader
Version: v0.1.1
Nature: Processing crafted invalid git repositories can trigger the vulnerability.

Affected Systems and Versions

Systems: N/A
Versions: v0.1.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by providing specially crafted, invalid git repositories during the download process, leading to excessive CPU consumption.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate the CVE-2021-40899 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to a patched version without the vulnerability.
Avoid downloading repositories from untrusted or unknown sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software to the latest stable versions.
Conduct security audits to identify and remediate vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Check for updates and apply patches released by the software provider.
Monitor for security advisories related to repo-git-downloader.