CVE-2020-28269 in field
Summary
by MITRE • 11/12/2020
Prototype pollution vulnerability in 'field' versions 0.0.1 through 1.0.1 allows attacker to cause a denial of service and may lead to remote code execution.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-28269 represents a critical prototype pollution flaw within the field library version range 0.0.1 through 1.0.1. This type of vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly validate or sanitize user input that is used to modify object prototypes, allowing attackers to inject malicious properties into the prototype chain. The field library is commonly used for data manipulation and processing in node.js applications, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can affect numerous applications that depend on this dependency.
Prototype pollution vulnerabilities arise when developers do not adequately protect against modifications to the Object.prototype or other core JavaScript objects during runtime. In the case of CVE-2020-28269, the flaw exists in how the field library handles object merging and property assignment operations. When user-controlled input is processed through the library without proper sanitization, attackers can manipulate the prototype of objects, potentially leading to unexpected behavior in the application's execution flow. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-471 as "Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" when exploited for remote code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable full remote code execution in vulnerable applications. Attackers can leverage prototype pollution to manipulate the behavior of core JavaScript functions, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code on the target system. The severity of this vulnerability means that applications using affected versions of the field library are at risk of complete compromise, especially in environments where user input is not properly validated or sanitized. This type of vulnerability is particularly insidious because it can be exploited silently, with the attacker gaining persistent access to the system through carefully crafted input that modifies the prototype chain.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-28269 involve immediate upgrade to field library version 1.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to prevent prototype pollution attacks. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures throughout their applications, particularly when processing user data that might be passed to the field library or similar data manipulation functions. Additionally, implementing strict content security policies, using secure coding practices, and conducting regular security audits can help prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough dependency audits to identify all applications using vulnerable versions of the field library and ensure that proper version pinning and security monitoring are in place to prevent future occurrences of this class of vulnerability.