GHSA-j3w7-9qc3-g96p
Kottster app reinitialization can be re-triggered allowing command injection in development mode
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Blast Radius
@kottster/serverReal-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
Impact
Development mode only. Kottster contains a pre-authentication remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability when running in development mode.
The vulnerability combines two issues:
- The
initAppaction can be called repeatedly without checking if the app is already initialized, allowing attackers to create a new root admin account and obtain a JWT token - The
installPackagesForDataSourceaction uses unescaped command arguments, enabling command injection
An attacker with access to a locally running development instance can chain these vulnerabilities to:
- Reinitialize the application and receive a JWT token for a new root account
- Use this token to authenticate
- Execute arbitrary system commands through
installPackagesForDataSource
Production deployments were never affected.
Patches
Fixed in v3.3.2.
Specifically, @kottster/server v3.3.2 and @kottster/cli v3.3.2 address this vulnerability.
We recommend developers using earlier versions of @kottster/server and @kottster/cli update all the core packages to latest release:
npm install @kottster/common@latest @kottster/cli@latest @kottster/server@latest @kottster/react@latest
Workarounds
- Do not expose development servers to public networks or untrusted users
- Use production mode for any deployment accessible from outside trusted environments
Credit
We sincerely thank Jeongwon Jo (@P0cas) from RedAlert for discovering and responsibly disclosing this vulnerability.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @kottster/server | ≥ 3.2.0&&< 3.3.2 | 3.3.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @kottster/server. 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 @kottster/server to 3.3.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-j3w7-9qc3-g96p 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-j3w7-9qc3-g96p 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-j3w7-9qc3-g96p. 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-j3w7-9qc3-g96p in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-j3w7-9qc3-g96p across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.