How severe is GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894?

No CVSS score has been assigned to GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894?

GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 affects the following packages: openwhisk (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894?

Update openwhisk to 3.3.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 in my npm dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openwhisk, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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.

Is GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

When was GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 published, and has it been updated?

GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 was published on September 1, 2020 and was last updated on September 24, 2021. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

📦 npm

Not in CISA KEV

Remote Memory Exposure in openwhiskGHSA-53mj-mc38-q894

Fix: openwhisk/openwhisk-client-js#34

GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 is a security vulnerability in openwhisk. A fix is available for openwhisk — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Published

Sep 1, 2020

Updated

Sep 24, 2021

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Sep 24, 2021 · OSV.dev, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

📦openwhisk

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects npm packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Versions of openwhisk before 3.3.1 are vulnerable to remote memory exposure.

When a number is passed to api_key, affected versions of openwhisk allocate an uninitialized buffer and send that over network in Authorization header (base64-encoded).

Proof of concept:

var openwhisk = require('openwhisk');
var options = {
  apihost: '127.0.0.1:1433', 
  api_key: USERSUPPLIEDINPUT // number
};
var ow = openwhisk(options);
ow.actions.invoke({actionName: 'sample'}).then(result => console.log(result))

Recommendation

Update to version 3.3.1 or later.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
📦npm	`openwhisk`	all versions	3.3.1`npm install openwhisk@3.3.1`

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for openwhisk, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update openwhisk to 3.3.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-53mj-mc38-q894 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Versions of `openwhisk` before 3.3.1 are vulnerable to remote memory exposure. When a number is passed to `api_key`, affected versions of `openwhisk` allocate an uninitialized buffer and send that over network in Authorization header (base64-encoded). Proof of concept: ```js var openwhisk = require('openwhisk'); var options = { apihost: '127.0.0.1:1433', api_key: USERSUPPLIEDINPUT // number }; var ow = openwhisk(options); ow.actions.invoke({actionName: 'sample'}).then(result => console.log(result)) ``` ## Recommendation Update to version 3.3.1 or later.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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