Low CVE

Information

A Low CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) alert signifies a minor security vulnerability within a package that poses a relatively low risk to your system. CVEs are standardized identifiers for known security vulnerabilities in software.

Socket’s AI-powered threat detection flags packages with low CVEs to ensure they are documented and addressed, even if they are not immediately critical. These vulnerabilities can still pose potential risks over time and should not be ignored completely.

Why Low CVEs are Important:

1. Preventive Measures:
   Even though low CVEs are less likely to be exploited, addressing them can prevent potential risks from escalating into more significant issues.
2. Compliance and Maintenance:
   Maintaining a clean security record by addressing all known vulnerabilities, including low CVEs, is often a compliance requirement for various industry standards.
3. Long-term Security:
   Consistently addressing low CVEs helps ensure long-term security and stability of your software, as even minor vulnerabilities can be combined or exploited over time.

Recommended actions

Low CVEs indicate minor security vulnerabilities that pose minimal risk to your system.

Suggested Action Configuration

Alert Action: Ignore

• Justification: Low-risk alerts can often be ignored to cut out noise and focus on what matters in your project or organization. These alerts may not pose a significant threat and can be deprioritized.
• Action: Set alerts to "Ignore" if you don't want to see these alerts at all. This is great for cutting out noise and focusing on what matters in your project or organization. Alerts set to “Ignore” won't pop up in your pull requests (PRs) or merge requests (MRs), nor anywhere in the Socket platform, including in the Socket Dashboard (including Organization Alerts and Report Runs).

Investigate the Dependency

• Verify the CVE: Check the official CVE database and the package’s repository for details about the vulnerability.
• Assess Impact: Determine how the vulnerability affects your project and assess the potential damage it can cause.

Apply Patches or Updates

• Upgrade the Package: Update to a patched version of the package if available.
• Apply Workarounds: If a patch is not available, apply any recommended workarounds or temporary fixes.

Monitor for Updates

• Stay Informed: Keep an eye on the package repository and CVE database for any updates or new patches.
• Re-evaluate Regularly: Regularly review your dependencies and their associated vulnerabilities.

Example Response

For example, if you receive a low CVE alert for a popular npm package, you should:

1. Investigate: Verify the CVE details and understand its impact.
2. Update: Apply any available patches or update the package to a newer, secure version.
3. Monitor: Keep monitoring the package for any future vulnerabilities or updates.

Examples

Low CVEs represent vulnerabilities with a low severity score, typically in the range of 0.1 to 3.9 according to the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). These vulnerabilities are less severe than high and critical CVEs but still require attention to maintain overall security.

Examples of Low CVEs:

1. Minor Information Disclosure: Vulnerabilities that might lead to the exposure of non-sensitive information.
2. Minor Validation Issues: Input validation issues that are unlikely to be exploited but still need fixing.
3. Less Critical Misconfigurations: Configuration issues that do not pose immediate threats but could be improved.

Detection Method

Socket integrates with the GitHub Security Advisory Database to ingest Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) and other security advisories.

Low CVEs:

• Criteria: CVEs with a CVSS score below 4.0.
• Action: Generate a low-priority alert. Recommend awareness and future updates.
• Example: "Low CVE detected in package W. Consider updating during the next maintenance window."

By integrating with the GitHub Security Advisory Database, Socket provides robust protection against vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies.

GitHub Security Advisory Database:

The GitHub Security Advisory Database is a comprehensive resource that contains security advisories from various sources, including the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), community submissions, and advisories curated by GitHub. It helps developers stay informed about vulnerabilities that could affect their projects.

For more information about the GitHub Security Advisory Database, visit GitHub Advisory Database.

Additional resources

National Vulnerability Database (NVD):

• The NVD is a comprehensive repository of known vulnerabilities maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It provides detailed information about each CVE, including severity ratings, descriptions, and references.
• NVD Website

MITRE CVE Database:

• MITRE manages the CVE list, which includes identifiers and descriptions of publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
• MITRE CVE Database

GitHub Security Advisories:

• GitHub provides a platform for reporting and tracking vulnerabilities in open-source projects hosted on GitHub. This includes detailed advisories on CVEs affecting these projects.
• GitHub Security Advisories

CVE Details:

• This website provides detailed information about CVEs, including statistics, timelines, and affected products.
• CVE Details

Socket Blog:

• CVE Publication Hits All-Time High: 5,000+ Vulnerabilities Reported in May
• node-ip Maintainer Restores GitHub Repo After Archiving Due to Overblown CVE Rating
• Limitations of CVE-Based Security Scanners: A Deep Dive into 3 Notable Supply Chain Attacks