Summary
@hoppscotch/cli affected by Sandbox Escape in @hoppscotch/js-sandbox leads to RCE
Observations
The Hoppscotch desktop app takes multiple precautions to be secure against arbitrary JavaScript and system command execution. It does not render user-controlled HTML or Markdown, uses Tauri instead of Electron, and sandboxes pre-request scripts with a simple yet secure implementation using web workers.
Unfortunately, web workers are not available in a pure Node.js application like Hoppscotch CLI. That is why the @hoppscotch/js-sandbox package also provides a Javascript sandbox that uses the Node.js vm module. However, the vm module is not safe for sandboxing untrusted Javascript code, as stated in the documentation. This is because code inside the vm context can break out if it can get a hold of any reference to an object created outside of the vm.
In the case of @hoppscotch/js-sandbox, multiple references to external objects are passed into the vm context to allow pre-request scripts interactions with environment variables and more. But this also allows the pre-request script to escape the sandbox.
packages/hoppscotch-js-sandbox/src/pre-request/node-vm/index.ts
const { pw, updatedEnvs } = getPreRequestScriptMethods(envs)
// Expose pw to the context
context.pw = pw
context.atob = atob
context.btoa = btoa
// Run the pre-request script in the provided context
runInContext(preRequestScript, context)
Exploitation
An attacker can use the exposed pw object reference to escape the sandbox and execute arbitrary system commands using the child_process Node.js module. This PoC pre-request script executes the id > /tmp/pwnd system command as soon as a request is sent.
outside = pw.constructor.constructor('return this')()
outside.process.mainModule.require('child_process').execSync('id > /tmp/pwnd')
An attacker who wants to run arbitrary code on the machine of a victim can create a Hoppscotch collection containing a request with a malicious pre-request script and share it with a victim, using the JSON export feature. The victim then has to run the collection with the Hoppscotch CLI. Then the malicious pre-request script executes.
Recommendations
Hoppscotch CLI and other tools that rely on @hoppscotch/js-sandbox but don't have access to a browser cannot use the web worker sandbox. For these, you can look into other safe JavaScript sandboxing libraries. We think that isolated-vm looks promising. We discourage the use of vm2, which is deprecated because it has arbitrary bypasses. Alternatively, you can introduce an --enable-scripting flag for the CLI and disable scripting by default. Or you can change the threat model and educate users that they should not run untrusted collections as it can lead to RCE.
Differences from existing CVEs
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37466 : This CVE is regarding an escape of vm2 which we do not even use.
Impact
This attack gives an attacker arbitrary command execution on the machine of a victim Hoppscotch CLI user. For the attack to succeed, an attacker has to lure the victim into downloading a malicious Hoppscotch collection and running it with the Hoppscotch CLI.
This issue does not impact Hoppscotch Web or Desktop, as they use the safe web worker sandboxing approach.
Untrusted input is inserted into a command that is later executed by the application, allowing the attacker to alter the intent of that command. Typical impact: arbitrary command execution in the application's environment.
CVE-2024-34347 has a CVSS score of 8.3 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (0.8.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-34347? CVE-2024-34347 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in @hoppscotch/cli (npm), affecting versions >= 0.5.0, < 0.8.0. It is fixed in 0.8.0. Untrusted input is inserted into a command that is later executed by the application, allowing the attacker to alter the intent of that command.
- How severe is CVE-2024-34347? CVE-2024-34347 has a CVSS score of 8.3 (High). 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.
- Which versions of @hoppscotch/cli are affected by CVE-2024-34347? @hoppscotch/cli (npm) versions >= 0.5.0, < 0.8.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-34347? Yes. CVE-2024-34347 is fixed in 0.8.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-34347 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-34347 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2024-34347 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2024-34347? Upgrade
@hoppscotch/clito 0.8.0 or later.