Skip to content

NSIS installer - execute arbitrary code on the target machine (Windows only)

High
mmaietta published GHSA-r4pf-3v7r-hh55 Mar 2, 2024

Package

npm app-builder-lib (npm)

Affected versions

< 24.13.1

Patched versions

24.13.2

Description

Impact

Windows-Only: The NSIS installer makes a system call to open cmd.exe via NSExec in the .nsh installer script. NSExec by default searches the current directory of where the installer is located before searching PATH. This means that if an attacker can place a malicious executable file named cmd.exe in the same folder as the installer, the installer will run the malicious file.

Patches

Fixed in #8059

Workarounds

None, it executes at the installer-level before the app is present on the system, so there's no way to check if it exists in a current installer.

References

https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/426.html
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/427

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE ID

CVE-2024-27303

Weaknesses

Untrusted Search Path

The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control. Learn more on MITRE.

Uncontrolled Search Path Element

The product uses a fixed or controlled search path to find resources, but one or more locations in that path can be under the control of unintended actors. Learn more on MITRE.

Credits