GHSA-7w8p-chxq-2789 CVE-2025-48934
Deno.env.toObject() ignores the variables listed in --deny-env and returns all environment variables
- Severity
- 0.0 / 10
- Medium · CVSS 4.0
- Exploit chance (EPSS)
- 0.44%
- Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 38.67% of scored vulnerabilities.
- Known exploited
- No
- Not in CISA's catalog
- Weakness
- CWE-201 Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data
- Fix
- Available
- 2 packages have a fixed version
Description
Summary
The Deno.env.toObject method ignores any variables listed in the --deny-env option of the deno run command. When looking at the documentation of the --deny-env option this might lead to a false impression that variables listed in the option are impossible to read.
PoC
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=my-secret-aws-key
# Works as expected. The program stops with a "NotCapable" error message
echo 'console.log(Deno.env.get("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"));' | deno run \
--allow-env \
--deny-env=AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID,AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY -
# All enviroment variables are printed and the --deny-env list is completely disregarded
echo 'console.log(Deno.env.toObject());' | deno run \
--allow-env \
--deny-env=AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID,AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY -
The first example using get exits with the following error:
error: Uncaught (in promise) NotCapable: Requires env access to "AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY", run again with the --allow-env flag
console.log(Deno.env.get("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY"));
^
at Object.getEnv [as get] (ext:deno_os/30_os.js:124:10)
at file:///$deno$stdin.mts:1:22
The second example using toObject prints all environment variables:
[Object: null prototype] {
...
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: "my-secret-aws-key",
...
}
Impact
Software relying on the combination of both flags to allow access to most environment variables except a few sensitive ones will be vulnerable to malicious code trying to steal secrets using the Deno.env.toObject() method.
Affected versions
crates.io
| Package | Vulnerable | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| deno | < 2.1.13 |
2.1.13 |
| deno | >= 2.2.0, < 2.2.13 |
2.2.13 |
| deno_runtime | < 0.212.0 |
0.212.0 |
How to fix
Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.
deno crates.io → 2.1.13
- cargo
cargo update -p deno --precise 2.1.13
deno_runtime crates.io → 0.212.0
- cargo
cargo update -p deno_runtime --precise 0.212.0
Severity breakdown
CVSS 4.0 0.0
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- Low
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- Low
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- None
- Confidentiality (subsequent systems)
- None
- Integrity (subsequent systems)
- None
- Availability (subsequent systems)
- None
- Exploit maturity
- Proof of concept
CVSS 3.1 5.3
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Weakness
CWE-201: Insertion of Sensitive Information Into Sent Data
The code transmits data to another actor, but a portion of the data includes sensitive information that should not be accessible to that actor.
How to prevent it
- Requirements: Specify which data in the software should be regarded as sensitive. Consider which types of users should have access to which types of data.
- Implementation: Ensure that any possibly sensitive data specified in the requirements is verified with designers to ensure that it is either a calculated risk or mitigated elsewhere. Any information that is not necessary to the functionality should be removed in order to lower both the overhead and the possibility of security sensitive data being sent.
- System Configuration: Setup default error messages so that unexpected errors do not disclose sensitive information.
- Architecture and Design: Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
References
Advisories
Packages
Other links
- github.com/denoland/deno/security/advisories/GHSA-7w8p-chxq-2789
- github.com/denoland/deno/pull/29079
- github.com/denoland/deno/commit/2959e083912420988066a001c2b2d6732a1b562f
- github.com/denoland/deno/commit/946ccda1aa19a00c478a5e6826b75053b050d753
- docs.deno.com/api/deno/~/Deno.Env.toObject
- docs.deno.com/runtime/fundamentals/security
Timeline
- Published
- Last updated by the source
- Latest EPSS score
Related advisories
| Advisory | Severity | Why it's related |
|---|---|---|
| GHSA-x2qc-cmh9-f4hf Deno: Denial of service via non-ASCII bytes in WebSocket response headers | Medium | Also affects deno |
| GHSA-8xpq-cjcf-3wh9 Deno: Permission Bypass via Unicode Normalization Mismatch on macOS (APFS) | High | Also affects deno |
| GHSA-968w-xfqw-vp9q Deno: BYONM module resolution allows `package.json` main path traversal to bypass `--allow-read` restrictions | Medium | Also affects deno |
| GHSA-v8fw-85r8-5m23 Deno: Node TCPWrap numeric hostname aliases bypass --deny-net resolved-IP deny checks | Medium | Also affects deno |
| GHSA-9xg4-qhm4-g43w Deno: Miller-Rabin Primality Test Allows Zero Rounds | High | Also affects deno |
| GHSA-7xh3-mhg9-jcw8 Deno: Command Injection via spawnSync & spawn on Windows | High | Also affects deno |
| GHSA-4c8g-jvcx-v4hv Deno: process.loadEnvFile() bypasses env permission checks and mutates process.env with only read access | Medium | Also affects deno |
| GHSA-83pc-3rw9-qpwj Deno: WebSocket API sandbox bypass via missing post-DNS check | Medium | Also affects deno |
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