Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-23380 is a command-injection flaw in the npm package roar-pidusage. If an application passes attacker-controlled input into the package's stat function on certain operating systems, that input may be executed as an operating-system command. Business risk depends on whether the vulnerable package is present and whether untrusted users can influence the stat input.
Executive priority
Treat as a targeted dependency-risk item, not an internet-wide emergency. Prioritize applications where roar-pidusage is deployed in reachable services and receives user-influenced process identifiers. Require dependency owners to confirm presence, data flow, and remediation status.
Technical view
The advisory attributes the issue to use of Node.js child_process exec without input sanitization inside roar-pidusage. The published CVSS 3.1 score is 5.6, with network reachability, high attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and low confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in Node.js applications that directly or transitively depend on roar-pidusage and pass request, job, API, or tenant-controlled values into stat. Systems not using the package, or only passing trusted process identifiers, have materially lower practical exposure.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates exploitation is possible but high complexity. Practical exploitability depends on application data flow, operating-system behavior, and whether attacker input reaches the vulnerable stat call.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports the vulnerable pattern and affected package, but the bundle does not name a specific patched version. Avoid assuming exploit activity or universal reachability. Focus validation on dependency resolution, call graph exposure, OS-specific behavior, and whether input sanitization blocks shell metacharacter abuse.
Mitigation direction
- Identify and remove direct or transitive roar-pidusage usage where possible.
- Check vendor, npm, and Snyk guidance for any maintained replacement or fixed package path.
- Prevent untrusted input from reaching stat or process-monitoring wrappers.
- Validate process identifiers strictly before use in process-stat APIs.
- Prefer maintained libraries that avoid shell execution for process lookups.
Validation and detection
- Search package manifests and lockfiles for roar-pidusage.
- Map every stat call and identify whether any caller accepts external input.
- Confirm affected runtime operating systems for deployed environments.
- Run software composition analysis against production dependency locks.
- Review tests for coverage of rejected non-numeric or malformed process identifiers.
Public sources used
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.
Execution 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-2021-23380 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P
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 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:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P2.23.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.6MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/E:P
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-ROARPIDUSAGE-1078528CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/Svjard/pidusage/blob/772cd2bd675ff7b1244b6fe3d7541692b1b9e42c/lib/stats.js%23L103CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
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.