CVE-2023-32695

CVE-2023-32695 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in socket.io-parser (npm), affecting versions >= 3.4.0, < 3.4.3. It is fixed in 3.4.3, 4.2.3, 3.3.4.

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Runtime intelligence, not another scanner.

Summary

Insufficient validation when decoding a Socket.IO packet

Workarounds

There is no known workaround except upgrading to a safe version.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

  • Open a discussion here

Thanks to @rafax00 for the responsible disclosure.

Impact

A specially crafted Socket.IO packet can trigger an uncaught exception on the Socket.IO server, thus killing the Node.js process.

TypeError: Cannot convert object to primitive value
       at Socket.emit (node:events:507:25)
       at .../node_modules/socket.io/lib/socket.js:531:14

The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.

CVE-2023-32695 has a CVSS score of 7.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.4.3, 4.2.3, 3.3.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

socket.io-parser (>= 3.4.0, < 3.4.3) socket.io-parser (>= 4.0.4, < 4.2.3) socket.io-parser (< 3.3.4)

Security releases

socket.io-parser → 3.4.3 (npm) socket.io-parser → 4.2.3 (npm) socket.io-parser → 3.3.4 (npm)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

A fix has been released today (2023/05/22):

Another fix has been released for the 3.3.x branch:

socket.io version socket.io-parser version Needs minor update?
4.5.2...latest ~4.2.0 (ref) npm audit fix should be sufficient
4.1.3...4.5.1 ~4.1.1 (ref) Please upgrade to [email protected]
3.0.5...4.1.2 ~4.0.3 (ref) Please upgrade to [email protected]
3.0.0...3.0.4 ~4.0.1 (ref) Please upgrade to [email protected]
2.3.0...2.5.0 ~3.4.0 (ref) npm audit fix should be sufficient

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is CVE-2023-32695? CVE-2023-32695 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in socket.io-parser (npm), affecting versions >= 3.4.0, < 3.4.3. It is fixed in 3.4.3, 4.2.3, 3.3.4. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
  2. How severe is CVE-2023-32695? CVE-2023-32695 has a CVSS score of 7.3 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
  3. Which versions of socket.io-parser are affected by CVE-2023-32695? socket.io-parser (npm) versions >= 3.4.0, < 3.4.3 is affected.
  4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-32695? Yes. CVE-2023-32695 is fixed in 3.4.3, 4.2.3, 3.3.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
  5. Is CVE-2023-32695 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-32695 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
  6. What actually determines whether CVE-2023-32695 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
  7. How do I fix CVE-2023-32695?
    • Upgrade socket.io-parser to 3.4.3 or later
    • Upgrade socket.io-parser to 4.2.3 or later
    • Upgrade socket.io-parser to 3.3.4 or later

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