CVE-2020-28501 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the package es6-crawler-detect before version 3.1.3, leading to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) due to no limitation on user agent string length.

Understanding CVE-2020-28501

This CVE, assigned the ID CVE-2020-28501, was made public on March 22, 2021.

What is CVE-2020-28501?

CVE-2020-28501 is a vulnerability in the es6-crawler-detect package that allows Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) attacks.

The Impact of CVE-2020-28501

The impact of this CVE is rated as MEDIUM with a base score of 5.3. It affects the availability of the system but does not compromise confidentiality or integrity.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-28501

This section provides more technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in es6-crawler-detect before version 3.1.3 allows for ReDoS attacks due to unrestricted user agent string length.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: es6-crawler-detect
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions affected: All versions before 3.1.3

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by sending specially crafted user agent strings to the affected system, causing it to become unresponsive.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-28501, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the es6-crawler-detect package to version 3.1.3 or higher.
Implement input validation to limit user agent string length.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update dependencies to ensure the latest security patches are applied.
Educate developers on secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and promptly apply patches released by the package maintainers.