CVE-2021-43306 is a medium-severity vulnerability that affects the jquery-validation npm package. This vulnerability allows an attacker to trigger an exponential ReDoS (Regular Expression Denial of Service) when arbitrary input is supplied to the url2 method. The potential for service disruption makes this a noteworthy issue for organizations relying on this library.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 5.9, indicating a medium level of severity. It is crucial for organizations to understand the implications of this vulnerability, especially in production environments where availability is critical. The published date of this vulnerability is June 2, 2022, and it has been modified since its initial disclosure.
Risk to organizations includes potential downtime or performance degradation due to the Denial of Service condition triggered by this vulnerability. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability without needing any privileges or user interaction, making it accessible for exploitation in various deployment scenarios.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2021-43306. Affected deployments using the jquery-validation npm package need to assess their exposure and apply necessary updates as they become available.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of CVE-2021-43306 states that an exponential ReDoS (Regular Expression Denial of Service) can be triggered in the jquery-validation npm package when an attacker supplies arbitrary input to the url2 method. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-1333, which indicates a specific weakness in the regular expression processing.
The CVSS v3.1 vector string for this vulnerability is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, with a base score of 5.9. This reflects a network attack vector with high attack complexity and no privileges required for exploitation. The availability impact is classified as high, indicating that successful exploitation can lead to significant service disruption.
The affected product is jquery_validation, specifically versions prior to 1.19.4. Organizations should ensure that they are not using vulnerable versions of this package in their applications.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability is related to the regular expression processing in the url2 method of the jquery-validation npm package. An attacker can exploit the vulnerability by providing crafted input that causes the regular expression engine to enter a state of excessive backtracking, leading to denial of service.
The attack vector is network-based, meaning that an attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely without needing physical access to the target system. The attack complexity is high, suggesting that the attacker must craft specific input to successfully exploit the vulnerability.
No user interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous for applications that process user input. There is no confidentiality or integrity impact associated with this vulnerability; however, the availability impact is classified as high due to the potential for service disruption.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Organizations using the jquery-validation package should assess the risk associated with CVE-2021-43306, particularly in production environments where high availability is crucial. The potential for denial of service can impact user experience and business operations significantly.
The blast radius of this vulnerability could extend to any application that utilizes the affected version of the jquery-validation package, potentially affecting multiple services within an organization. Given the medium severity of this vulnerability, organizations should address it in their priority patch cycle.
With an EPSS score of 0.00844, the probability of exploitation is relatively low compared to other vulnerabilities. However, it is essential for security teams to remain vigilant and proactive in monitoring for any signs of exploitation attempts.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The jquery-validation npm package is affected in versions prior to 1.19.4. Organizations should verify their current version and update accordingly to mitigate the impact of this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
To remediate CVE-2021-43306, organizations should update the jquery-validation npm package to version 1.19.4 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, consider implementing input validation and rate limiting to reduce the likelihood of exploitation.
For ongoing risk management, organizations may benefit from conducting regular security assessments and penetration tests to identify similar vulnerabilities in their applications. For further guidance on application security assessment, organizations can refer to the application security assessment services offered.
Detection Guidance
Monitoring for excessive resource consumption and application performance degradation can help detect attempts to exploit CVE-2021-43306. Log analysis for patterns indicating potential ReDoS attacks can also be beneficial.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
CVE-2021-43306 represents an ongoing challenge in the realm of regular expression processing within software libraries. As organizations increasingly rely on third-party packages, the potential for vulnerabilities like this to be introduced becomes a significant concern.
Security teams should remain vigilant in monitoring their dependencies and promptly apply updates as they become available. For resources on effective penetration testing practices, organizations can refer to the penetration testing methodology to enhance their security posture.
Additionally, organizations should consider the importance of adopting a comprehensive vulnerability management program to ensure they are prepared for similar vulnerabilities in the future.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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