CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2023-49210 — Node-Openssl Project Node-Openssl security vulnerability

Critical CVSS 9.8

The openssl (aka node-openssl) NPM package through 2.0.0 was characterized as "a nonsense wrapper with no real purpose" by its author, and accepts an opts argument that contains a verb field (used for command execution). NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer.

Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.8 (3.1)
Published
2023-11-23
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
javascript/npm
Weaknesses
CWE-77

Affected products

  • node-openssl_project / node-openssl

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

The detailed catalog view below loads this exact record, its source evidence, and the full seven-phase agentic change plan.