multer is a middleware for handling multipart/form-data in Node.js. A small multipart request with two specially crafted text field names can make multers field parser synchronously iterate a maximum-length sparse array, blocking the event loop so the process cannot handle other requests. A large numeric array index in the first field allocates a maximum-length sparse array, and a second field with a non-numeric key then triggers a full-length iteration inside the append-field dependency. All versions before 2.3.0 are affected, and this is a remotely triggerable denial of service. multer 2.3.0 adds an opt-in fieldArrayIndexLimit option that rejects oversized array indexes. Upgrade to multer 2.3.0 and set limits.fieldArrayIndexLimit to the largest array index your application needs to remediate.
Weakness
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multer | Expressjs | * | 2.3.0 (excluding) |
Potential Mitigations
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/147.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/227.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/492.html