CVE-2023-43646 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in get-func-name.

Understanding CVE-2023-43646

get-func-name is a module used to securely and consistently retrieve a function's name in both NodeJS and the browser. Versions prior to 2.0.1 are affected by a regular expression denial of service (ReDoS) vulnerability, potentially leading to denial of service when processing malicious input.

What is CVE-2023-43646?

The CVE-2023-43646 vulnerability, also known as Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity in get-func-name, affects versions of the get-func-name module prior to 2.0.1. It is categorized under CWE-1333, highlighting inefficient regular expression complexity.

The Impact of CVE-2023-43646

The vulnerability can be exploited through an imbalance in parentheses, causing excessive backtracking and a significant increase in CPU load and processing time. Attackers could trigger this vulnerability by using specific input, leading to a denial of service.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-43646

Vulnerability Description

The flaw arises from inefficient regular expressions, allowing malicious inputs to trigger denial of service by causing excessive CPU load during parsing.

Affected Systems and Versions

Users with get-func-name versions before 2.0.1 are vulnerable to this exploit.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by submitting unbalanced parentheses, leading to excessive backtracking and subsequent denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are strongly advised to upgrade to version 2.0.1 or newer, where the issue has been addressed in commit

f934b228b

. No known workarounds exist for this vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and libraries to the latest versions to mitigate potential security risks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and commit updates to ensure that your applications are protected against known vulnerabilities.