CanvasApplication · Automattic
CVE-2020-8215
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA buffer overflow is present in canvas version <= 1.6.9, which could lead to a Denial of Service or execution of arbitrary code when it processes a user-provided image.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the canvas library version 1.6.9 and earlier. The vulnerability is triggered during the processing of user-provided images, potentially allowing an attacker to cause a denial of service or achieve arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
CanvasApplication
<= 1.6.9CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate the Automattic Canvas library in your environmentSearch for canvas-related package files (package.json, package-lock.json) or node_modules directories containing the canvas library. If using a package manager, run 'npm list canvas' or check your dependency declarations.Affected if The Automattic Canvas library is present in your project dependencies or installed modules.
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Determine the installed version of the canvas libraryInspect the package.json dependencies section for the canvas library version, or run 'npm list canvas --depth=0' to see the installed version. Alternatively, check the version field in node_modules/canvas/package.json if present.Affected if The version listed is 1.6.9 or any earlier version number.
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Verify the library is Automattic Canvas (not another canvas package)Cross-reference the package name in your dependencies. Automattic Canvas is a specific package from Automattic. Check the publisher/maintainer field in the package.json or npm registry entry.Affected if The package is identified as Automattic Canvas and the version is <= 1.6.9.
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Confirm image processing functionality is in useReview your application code for usage of the canvas library's image processing functions, particularly those that handle user-provided images. Search for imports of canvas image handling modules and their invocation in code.Affected if Your application imports and uses the canvas library to process images, especially user-supplied images.
Your environment is affected if the Automattic Canvas library version 1.6.9 or earlier is installed AND your application uses it to process user-provided images.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade the canvas library to a version newer than 1.6.9 to remediate this vulnerability.
Fix this in Canvas
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,936.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-8215 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-8215 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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