CVE-2024-21513

Arbitrary Code Execution in langchain-experimental due to unsafe eval usage.

• CVSS 8.5
• CWE-94
• Input Validation and Sanitization
• Remote

Versions of the package langchain-experimental from 0.0.15 and before 0.0.21 are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution when retrieving values from the database, the code will attempt to call 'eval' on all values. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability and execute arbitrary python code if they can control the input prompt and the server is configured with VectorSQLDatabaseChain. **Notes:** Impact on the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of the vulnerable component: Confidentiality: Code execution happens within the impacted component, in this case langchain-experimental, so all resources are necessarily accessible. Integrity: There is nothing protected by the impacted component inherently. Although anything returned from the component counts as 'information' for which the trustworthiness can be compromised. Availability: The loss of availability isn't caused by the attack itself, but it happens as a result during the attacker's post-exploitation steps. Impact on the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of the subsequent system: As a legitimate low-privileged user of the package (PR:L) the attacker does not have more access to data owned by the package as a result of this vulnerability than they did with normal usage (e.g. can query the DB). The unintended action that one can perform by breaking out of the app environment and exfiltrating files, making remote connections etc. happens during the post exploitation phase in the subsequent system – in this case, the OS. AT:P: An attacker needs to be able to influence the input prompt, whilst the server is configured with the VectorSQLDatabaseChain plugin.

CVE

CVE-2024-21513

CWE

CWE-94

CVSS base score

8.5

Published

2024-07-15

OWASP

A01 Broken Access Control

Orthogonal defect classification

Function

Code defect classification

Incorrect Functionality

Category

Input Validation and Sanitization

Subcategory

Command Injection

Accessibility scope

Remote

Impact

Arbitrary Code Execution

Affected component

langchain-ex

Fixed by upgrading

Yes

Solution

Upgrade to version 0.0.21 or later of the langchain-experimental package.

def retrieve_value_from_database(db_value):
    """Vulnerable function that demonstrates the security issue."""
    return eval(db_value)

user_input = "__import__('os').system('ls')"
result = retrieve_value_from_database(user_input)
print(result)

import ast

def retrieve_value_from_database(db_value):
    """Secure function that fixes the vulnerability."""
    # SECURE: This version prevents command injection
    return ast.literal_eval(db_value)

user_input = "__import__('os').system('ls')"
result = retrieve_value_from_database(user_input)
print(result)

"__import__('os').system('whoami')"

@misc{vaitp:cve202421513,
  title        = {{Arbitrary Code Execution in langchain-experimental due to unsafe eval usage.}},
  author       = {Bogaerts, Fr\'ed\'eric and Ivaki, Naghmeh and Fonseca, Jos\'e},
  year         = {2024},
  note         = {VAITP Python Vulnerability Dataset, entry CVE-2024-21513},
  howpublished = {\url{https://netpack.pt/vaitp/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21513/}}
}