JVNDB-2016-000054

Electron may insecurely load Node modules

Electron fails to restrict the path for loading Node modules, which may lead to execution of arbitrary JavaScript.

Electron is a software framework for developing cross-platformm desktop applications with web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript with Chromium and Node.js. Electron is used in applications such as Atom editor, Microsoft Visual Studio Code, etc..
Electron contains a flaw where the search path for loading Node modules is not restricted properly. This exists due to a flaw in the processing of the 'require' function. When this function is processed, all parent folders for the directory where the module exists is added to the search paths. If an attacker is able to place a malicious Node module in a resulting search path on the victim's system, this Node module will be loaded.

Yosuke HASEGAWA of Secure Sky Technology Inc. reported this vulnerability to IPA.
JPCERT/CC coordinated with the developer under Information Security Early Warning Partnership.

Electron

• Electron versions prior to 0.33.5

Loading a malicious Node module placed by an attacker may result in arbitrary programs being executed with the privileges that the application using Electron.

[Update Electron and re-build the application]
Developers of applications that use Electron should update Electron and re-build the application.

Atom

• Github : electron@0.33.5

Electron

• Electron : Prevent Node from adding paths outside the app to search paths
• Electron : Merge pull request #2976 from atom/node_modules_paths

1. No Mapping(CWE-Other) [IPA Evaluation]

1. CVE-2016-1202

1. JVN : JVN#00324715
2. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) : CVE-2016-1202

• [2016/04/22]
    Web page was published
  [2016/06/01]
    Vendor Information : Content was added
    References : Content was added