CVE-2021-29486 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in cumulative-distribution-function. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for cumulative-distribution-function — see the affected versions and patch details below.
cumulative-distribution-function Infinite Loop vulnerability
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2021-29486 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,738 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
cumulative-distribution-functionnpmDescription
Impact
- Apps using this library on improper data may crash or go into an infinite-loop
- In the case of a nodejs server-app using this library to act on invalid non-numeric data, the nodejs server may crash. This may affect other users of this server and/or require the server to be rebooted for proper operation.
- In the case of a browser app using this library to act on invalid non-numeric data, that browser may crash or lock up.
A flaw enabling an infinite-loop was discovered in the code for evaluating the cumulative-distribution-function
of input data. Although the documentation explains that numeric data is required, some users may confuse an array
of strings like ["1","2","3","4","5"] for numeric data [1,2,3,4,5] when it is in fact string data. An infinite loop is possible when the
cumulative-distribution-function is evaluated for a given point when the input data is string data rather than type number.
This vulnerability enables an infinite-cpu-loop denial-of-service-attack on any app using npm:cumulative-distribution-function v1.0.3 or earlier if the attacker can supply malformed data to the library. The vulnerability could also manifest if a data source to be analyzed changes data type from Arrays of number (proper) to Arrays of string (invalid, but undetected by earlier version of the library).
Patches
Users should upgrade to at least v2.0.0, or the latest version.
Tests for several types of invalid data have been created, and version 2.0.0 has been tested to reject this invalid data by
throwing a TypeError() instead of processing it. Developers using this library may wish to adjust their app's code slightly to better tolerate or handle this TypeError. Apps performing proper numeric data validation before sending data to this library should be mostly unaffected by this patch.
Workarounds
The vulnerability can be mitigated in older versions by ensuring that only finite numeric data of type Array[number] or number is passed to cumulative-distribution-function and its f(x) function, respectively.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the Github repository at https://github.com/DrPaulBrewer/cumulative-distribution-function
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | cumulative-distribution-function | all versions | 2.0.0npm install cumulative-distribution-function@2.0.0 |
Affected Products
cumulative-distribution-functioncumulative-distribution-function_projectResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for cumulative-distribution-function, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update cumulative-distribution-function to 2.0.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-29486 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-29486 in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.