8.4
HIGH
CVE-2021-24105
Apache NuGet Repomanager Remote Code Execution
Description

<p>Depending on configuration of various package managers it is possible for an attacker to insert a malicious package into a package manager's repository which can be retrieved and used during development, build, and release processes. This insertion could lead to remote code execution. We believe this vulnerability affects multiple package managers across multiple languages, including but not limited to: Python/pip, .NET/NuGet, Java/Maven, JavaScript/npm.</p> <p><strong>Attack scenarios</strong></p> <p>An attacker could take advantage of this ecosystem-wide issue to cause harm in a variety of ways. The original attack scenarios were discovered by Alex Birsan and are detailed in their whitepaper, <a href="https://medium.com/@alex.birsan/dependency-confusion-4a5d60fec610">Dependency Confusion: How I Hacked Into Apple, Microsoft and Dozens of Other Companies</a>.</p> <ul> <li><p>With basic knowledge of the target ecosystems, an attacker could create an empty shell for a package and insert malicious code in the install scripts, give it a high version, and publish it to the public repository. Vulnerable victim machines will download the higher version of the package between the public and private repositories and attempt to install it. Due to code incompatibility it will probably error out upon import or upon compilation, making it easier to detect; however the attacker would have gained code execution by that point.</p> </li> <li><p>An advanced attacker with some inside knowledge of the target could take a copy of a working package, insert the malicious code (in the package itself or in the install), and then publish it to a public repository. The package will likely install and import correctly, granting the attacker an initial foothold and persistence.</p> </li> </ul> <p>These two methods could affect target organizations at any of these various levels:</p> <ul> <li>Developer machines</li> <li>An entire team if the configuration to import the malicious package is uploaded to a code repository</li> <li>Continuous integration pipelines if they pull the malicious packages during the build, test, and/or deploy stages</li> <li>Customers, download servers, production services if the malicious code has not been detected</li> </ul> <p>This remote code execution vulnerability can only be addressed by reconfiguring installation tools and workflows, and not by correcting anything in the package repositories themselves. See the <strong>FAQ</strong> section of this CVE for configuration guidance.</p>

INFO

Published Date :

Feb. 25, 2021, 11:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Nov. 21, 2024, 5:52 a.m.

Remotely Exploitable :

No

Impact Score :

5.9

Exploitability Score :

2.5
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2021-24105 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Microsoft package_manager_configurations
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2021-24105.

URL Resource
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-24105 Patch Vendor Advisory
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-24105 Patch Vendor Advisory

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2021-24105 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2021-24105 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • CVE Modified by af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108

    Nov. 21, 2024

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Reference https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-24105
  • CVE Modified by [email protected]

    May. 14, 2024

    Action Type Old Value New Value
  • CVE Modified by [email protected]

    Dec. 29, 2023

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Changed Description Package Managers Configurations Remote Code Execution Vulnerability <p>Depending on configuration of various package managers it is possible for an attacker to insert a malicious package into a package manager's repository which can be retrieved and used during development, build, and release processes. This insertion could lead to remote code execution. We believe this vulnerability affects multiple package managers across multiple languages, including but not limited to: Python/pip, .NET/NuGet, Java/Maven, JavaScript/npm.</p> <p><strong>Attack scenarios</strong></p> <p>An attacker could take advantage of this ecosystem-wide issue to cause harm in a variety of ways. The original attack scenarios were discovered by Alex Birsan and are detailed in their whitepaper, <a href="https://medium.com/@alex.birsan/dependency-confusion-4a5d60fec610">Dependency Confusion: How I Hacked Into Apple, Microsoft and Dozens of Other Companies</a>.</p> <ul> <li><p>With basic knowledge of the target ecosystems, an attacker could create an empty shell for a package and insert malicious code in the install scripts, give it a high version, and publish it to the public repository. Vulnerable victim machines will download the higher version of the package between the public and private repositories and attempt to install it. Due to code incompatibility it will probably error out upon import or upon compilation, making it easier to detect; however the attacker would have gained code execution by that point.</p> </li> <li><p>An advanced attacker with some inside knowledge of the target could take a copy of a working package, insert the malicious code (in the package itself or in the install), and then publish it to a public repository. The package will likely install and import correctly, granting the attacker an initial foothold and persistence.</p> </li> </ul> <p>These two methods could affect target organizations at any of these various levels:</p> <ul> <li>Developer machines</li> <li>An entire team if the configuration to import the malicious package is uploaded to a code repository</li> <li>Continuous integration pipelines if they pull the malicious packages during the build, test, and/or deploy stages</li> <li>Customers, download servers, production services if the malicious code has not been detected</li> </ul> <p>This remote code execution vulnerability can only be addressed by reconfiguring installation tools and workflows, and not by correcting anything in the package repositories themselves. See the <strong>FAQ</strong> section of this CVE for configuration guidance.</p>
    Added CVSS V3.1 Microsoft Corporation AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • Initial Analysis by [email protected]

    Mar. 03, 2021

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CVSS V2 Metadata Victim must voluntarily interact with attack mechanism
    Added CVSS V2 NIST (AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P)
    Added CVSS V3.1 NIST AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Changed Reference Type https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-24105 No Types Assigned https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-24105 Patch, Vendor Advisory
    Added CWE NIST NVD-CWE-noinfo
    Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:package_manager_configurations:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2021-24105 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2021-24105 weaknesses.

Exploit Prediction

EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days.

1.65 }} 0.60%

score

0.87223

percentile

CVSS31 - Vulnerability Scoring System
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability