Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
mongo-express before 0.54.0 can let an authenticated attacker run server-side commands through vulnerable BSON conversion handling. Because mongo-express often has database visibility, compromise could expose or change sensitive data and disrupt systems.
Executive priority
Treat this as urgent for any exposed or privileged mongo-express deployment. It combines critical impact, low attack complexity, and CISA KEV evidence of exploitation. Prioritize upgrade and exposure reduction before routine backlog work.
Technical view
CVE-2019-10758 is CWE-94 code injection in mongo-express before 0.54.0. The issue involves endpoints using toBSON and unsafe misuse of the vm dependency to execute commands. CVSS 3.1 is 9.9 with low complexity and low privileges required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely where mongo-express is deployed below version 0.54.0, especially if reachable from untrusted networks or broadly accessible internally. The CVSS vector indicates an attacker needs low privileges, not anonymous access.
Exploitation context
CISA lists CVE-2019-10758 in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, so active exploitation is supported by a government source. The provided sources do not include exploit mechanics or affected endpoint names beyond toBSON-related endpoints.
Researcher notes
The source bundle supports affected versions, weakness class, CVSS, and KEV status. It does not provide detailed endpoint mapping, exploit prerequisites beyond PR:L, or product-specific hardening steps. Validate through version inventory and deployment exposure rather than active exploitation.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade mongo-express to version 0.54.0 or later.
- Check vendor and package advisory guidance for current remediation notes.
- Remove internet exposure for mongo-express where possible.
- Limit access to trusted administrators and trusted networks.
- Rotate credentials if compromise is suspected.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all mongo-express deployments and container images.
- Confirm installed mongo-express versions are 0.54.0 or later.
- Review lockfiles and deployment manifests for older versions.
- Check whether mongo-express is externally reachable.
- Review logs for suspicious authenticated activity around admin endpoints.
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-94: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process telemetry. 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 lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2019-10758 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
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.9 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- Yes
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
CISA KEV status
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H3.16Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.9CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-MONGOEXPRESS-473215CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2019-10758CVE reference · government-resource
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.
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.