GHSA-27wq-qx3q-fxm9
HIGHImproper Handling of Unexpected Data Type in ced
Blast Radius
Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.
cednpmDescription
Impact
In ced v0.1.0, passing data types other than Buffer causes the Node.js process to crash.
Patches
The problem has been patched in ced v1.0.0. You can upgrade from v0.1.0 without any breaking changes.
Workarounds
Before passing an argument to ced, verify it’s a Buffer using Buffer.isBuffer(obj).
CVSS score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/RL:O/RC:C
Base Score: 7.5 (High) Temporal Score: 7.2 (High)
Since ced is a library, the scoring is based on the “reasonable worst-case implementation scenario”, namely, accepting data from untrusted sources over a network and passing it directly to ced. Depending on your specific implementation, the vulnerability’s severity in your program may be different.
Proof of concept
const express = require("express");
const bodyParser = require("body-parser");
const ced = require("ced");
const app = express();
app.use(bodyParser.raw());
app.post("/", (req, res) => {
const encoding = ced(req.body);
res.end(encoding);
});
app.listen(3000);
curl --request POST --header "Content-Type: text/plain" --data foo http://localhost:3000 crashes the server.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | ced | all versions | 1.0.0 |
Research 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 ced. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update ced to 1.0.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-27wq-qx3q-fxm9 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-27wq-qx3q-fxm9 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-27wq-qx3q-fxm9. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-27wq-qx3q-fxm9 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-27wq-qx3q-fxm9 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.