Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2018-16487 affects lodash, a widely used JavaScript utility library. Vulnerable versions before 4.17.11 can let specially crafted input alter shared JavaScript object behavior. Business risk depends on whether applications pass untrusted data into affected lodash functions.
Executive priority
Treat as a dependency hygiene priority, especially for internet-facing JavaScript services. Prioritize systems processing user-controlled JSON or object data. No supplied source confirms active exploitation.
Technical view
The issue is prototype pollution in lodash functions merge, mergeWith, and defaultsDeep. These functions can be tricked into adding or modifying properties on Object.prototype. The CVE record describes affected lodash versions as before 4.17.11. No CVSS score is provided in the supplied sources.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely in Node.js or browser applications that include lodash before 4.17.11 and process untrusted objects through merge, mergeWith, or defaultsDeep. Transitive dependency use should be checked.
Exploitation context
The supplied sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Exploitability depends on application data flow and whether attacker-controlled object keys reach vulnerable lodash functions.
Researcher notes
There is a source inconsistency: the bundle affected field says <4.7.11, while the CVE description states lodash <4.17.11. Validate against the HackerOne report and vendor dependency data before closing.
Mitigation direction
- Identify direct and transitive lodash versions in application dependency manifests.
- Upgrade lodash to 4.17.11 or later where applicable.
- Check vendor advisories for products bundling lodash, including NetApp guidance.
- Review affected code paths handling untrusted object input.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed lodash versions across repositories and deployed artifacts.
- Search code for merge, mergeWith, and defaultsDeep usage.
- Verify whether untrusted request or file data reaches those functions.
- Retest after upgrade to confirm vulnerable versions are removed.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-400: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2018-16487 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://hackerone.com/reports/380873CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190919-0004/CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.