CVE-2024-39249 is classified as a high-severity vulnerability affecting Async versions 2.6.4 and 3.2.5 due to a Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) in the parsing function of the autoinject function. This vulnerability has the potential to disrupt service availability, posing a significant risk to organizations that use these versions of Async in their applications.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 7.5, indicating a high severity level. This rating is critical, as it reflects the low attack complexity and the potential for high impact on availability. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability to cause significant disruptions, which underscores the importance of addressing it promptly.
Despite the reported vulnerability, the supplier disputes its significance, claiming that regular expressions are not utilized with untrusted input, which raises questions about the realistic threat model. However, organizations using the affected versions should take this vulnerability seriously and consider it in their risk assessments.
Given the potential impacts and the high severity rating, organizations should prioritize patching immediately. The urgency for remediation cannot be overstated, as the availability impact can severely disrupt operations.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of CVE-2024-39249 states that Async versions up to 2.6.4 and 3.2.5 are susceptible to ReDoS during the parsing function within the autoinject function. The vulnerability allows attackers to exploit the regular expression parsing mechanisms, potentially leading to service denial.
The CVSS score of 7.5 indicates high severity, with a low attack complexity and no privileges required for exploitation. The attack vector is network-based, meaning it can be triggered remotely. The availability impact is rated as high, while confidentiality and integrity are not affected.
The vulnerability was published on July 1, 2024, and is classified under CWE-1333. Organizations are urged to verify if they are using affected versions of Async and take necessary actions to mitigate the risk.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2024-39249 is related to how the Async library handles regular expressions during parsing. Specifically, the vulnerability arises in the autoinject function where input can lead to inefficient regular expression execution.
The attack vector is network-based, and the attack complexity is classified as low, making it easier for an attacker to exploit the vulnerability. No privileges are required to exploit this issue, and user interaction is not necessary. The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity but can lead to significant availability issues if exploited.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world risk associated with CVE-2024-39249 is significant, especially for organizations relying on Async for critical applications. The potential for denial of service can disrupt business operations, leading to reputational damage and financial loss.
Organizations should consider the blast radius of this vulnerability, particularly if Async is used in a public-facing or high-traffic environment. The urgency to address this vulnerability is further amplified by its high CVSS score and the potential for exploitation.
Given the lack of a known public exploit and the current status of the vulnerability as 'Awaiting Analysis', organizations should still prioritize remediation in their patch cycles. The risk to availability can have cascading effects on service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected versions of Async are 2.6.4 and 3.2.5. If organizations are using these versions, they must take immediate action to remediate the vulnerability by upgrading to a patched version.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize patching to versions of Async that have addressed this vulnerability. Further, they should conduct thorough testing of their applications to ensure that they are not susceptible to ReDoS and implement regular security reviews to catch similar vulnerabilities in the future.
For comprehensive security measures, organizations can consider engaging in penetration testing to identify and address similar vulnerabilities.
Detection Guidance
To detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor logs for unusual patterns in application behavior that may indicate a ReDoS attack. Additionally, implementing network signatures to identify suspicious request patterns can help mitigate the risk.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2024-39249 lies in the increasing reliance on libraries like Async in modern applications. As complexity grows, so does the risk of vulnerabilities that can be exploited through seemingly innocuous functions.
This vulnerability represents a trend towards vulnerabilities in asynchronous programming libraries, highlighting the need for ongoing vigilance in security practices. Security teams must prioritize proactive measures to ensure such vulnerabilities are identified and mitigated in advance.
For more insights on managing security in modern applications, organizations can explore resources on penetration testing methodology and the importance of a robust vulnerability management program to maintain secure coding practices.
Organizations should also stay updated on API security testing trends to ensure their applications remain resilient against emerging threats.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

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