GHSA-58mr-gqgx-xq4g: SSRF
Impact
fast-uri accepts a host that contains an unbalanced or misplaced authority bracket ([ or ]) without reporting an error. A host that starts with [ but does not end with ], such as [@127.0.0.1, is neither validated as an IP literal nor canonicalized as a domain name, so parse() returns it as the host with error undefined, while Node's URL (and http.get, axios, got, and other clients built on it) resolve the same string to 127.0.0.1. An application that reads parse().host to make a host decision (an SSRF denylist, a redirect allowlist, or proxy routing) and then passes the original URL to an HTTP client evaluates its policy against a string that is not the host the request reaches. The same host is carried through normalize(), equal(), and resolve().
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in fast-uri 4.1.4, 3.1.7, and 2.4.6. parse() now reports URI host is malformed. for any host that contains a bracket but is not a valid [IPv6] literal. All users should upgrade.
Workarounds
If upgrading is not immediately possible, reject any URL whose host contains a [ or ] that is not a well-formed IPv6 literal before making a host decision. Clients that fail closed on credential-bearing URLs, such as Node's global fetch(), are not affected by the reported vector.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
npm/fast-urito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.1.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
npm/fast-urito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.1.7 - Upgrade
Upgrade
npm/fast-urito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 2.4.6 - Upgrade
Upgrade
fast-urito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.1.4 - Upgrade
Upgrade
fast-urito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 3.1.7 - Upgrade
Upgrade
fast-urito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 2.4.6 - Compensating control
Before making a host decision, reject any URL whose host contains an unbalanced or misplaced '[' or ']' rather than a well-formed IPv6 literal.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which applications are exposed to this issue?
Applications are exposed when they use fast-uri to inspect parse().host for a security or routing decision, then send the original URL through Node's URL-based HTTP clients. Examples include SSRF denylists, redirect allowlists, and proxy routing controls.
What does an attacker need to exploit it?
An attacker needs to supply a URL that the application both validates with fast-uri and later passes unchanged to an HTTP client. A malformed bracketed host such as [@127.0.0.1 can be evaluated as one host by the policy but resolved to 127.0.0.1 by Node's URL handling.
How can this be mitigated before upgrading?
Reject URLs whose host contains [ or ] unless the host is a well-formed IPv6 literal, before making any security decision or outbound request. This prevents malformed bracketed hosts from passing validation and being interpreted differently by the HTTP client.
Which fast-uri releases contain the fix?
Upgrade to fast-uri 4.1.4, 3.1.7, or 2.4.6. In these releases, parse() reports "URI host is malformed." when a host contains brackets but is not a valid [IPv6] literal.