CVE-2016-10540 in Minimatch
Summary
by MITRE
Minimatch is a minimal matching utility that works by converting glob expressions into JavaScript `RegExp` objects. The primary function, `minimatch(path, pattern)` in Minimatch 3.0.1 and earlier is vulnerable to ReDoS in the `pattern` parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10540 affects the minimatch library, a widely used JavaScript utility for pattern matching that converts glob expressions into regular expressions for file path matching operations. This library serves as a foundational component in numerous Node.js applications and build tools, making its security implications particularly significant across the software development ecosystem. The vulnerability manifests specifically within the primary minimatch function that processes path patterns, creating a potential attack surface where malicious input can be exploited to cause denial of service conditions.
The technical flaw resides in the regular expression construction process within minimatch versions 3.0.1 and earlier, where the pattern parameter is processed through a vulnerable regular expression engine that is susceptible to Regular Expression Denial of Service attacks. This occurs when specially crafted glob patterns are provided as input, causing the regular expression engine to enter into a catastrophic backtracking state. The vulnerability is classified as a ReDoS (Regular Expression Denial of Service) attack vector where the malicious pattern causes exponential time complexity during pattern matching operations, effectively allowing an attacker to consume excessive computational resources and potentially crash or hang the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can be exploited in various attack scenarios including web applications that accept user input for file path patterns, build systems that process configuration files, or any system that relies on minimatch for pattern validation. The attack can be particularly devastating in environments where minimatch is used in server-side processing contexts, as it allows attackers to consume CPU resources indefinitely, potentially leading to resource exhaustion and system instability. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-400, which defines the weakness of uncontrolled resource consumption, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks, making it a critical concern for system administrators and security teams managing Node.js applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10540 involve immediate upgrading to minimatch version 3.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the regular expression vulnerability. Organizations should also implement input validation and sanitization measures to filter potentially malicious patterns before they reach the minimatch function, though this approach is less reliable than version upgrades. Additionally, implementing rate limiting and resource monitoring on systems that utilize minimatch can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing automated dependency scanning to identify vulnerable versions of minimatch and other similar libraries within their software supply chains, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date dependencies in preventing exploitation of known security flaws.