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Js Stellar SdkApplication · Stellar

CVE-2021-32738

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-07-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.2.3 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
js-stellar-sdk is a Javascript library for communicating with a Stellar Horizon server. The `Utils.readChallengeTx` function used in SEP-10 Stellar Web Authentication states in its function documentation that it reads and validates the challenge transaction including verifying that the `serverAccountID` has signed the transaction. In js-stellar-sdk before version 8.2.3, the function does not verify that the server has signed the transaction. Applications that also used `Utils.verifyChallengeTxThreshold` or `Utils.verifyChallengeTxSigners` to verify the signatures including the server signature on the challenge transaction are unaffected as those functions verify the server signed the transaction. Applications calling `Utils.readChallengeTx` should update to version 8.2.3, the first version with a patch for this vulnerability, to ensure that the challenge transaction is completely valid and signed by the server creating the challenge transaction.

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 · high confidence

The `Utils.readChallengeTx` function in js-stellar-sdk (used for SEP-10 Stellar Web Authentication) fails to verify that the server has signed the challenge transaction, despite documentation claiming this validation. This allows unauthenticated attackers to potentially inject fraudulent challenge transactions in applications that rely solely on this function without additional signature verification.

MitigationUpdate js-stellar-sdk to version 8.2.3 or later. Applications should also consider using `Utils.verifyChallengeTxThreshold` or `Utils.verifyChallengeTxSigners` for server signature verification as a defense-in-depth measure.

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
Js Stellar SdkApplication
Affected:< 8.2.3

CVSS 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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify js-stellar-sdk version
    Run `npm list js-stellar-sdk` in your project directory or inspect the version in your package.json file
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 8.2.3
  2. Locate readChallengeTx usage
    Search your codebase for the string 'readChallengeTx' to identify where the function is called in your authentication flow
    Affected if Your application calls Utils.readChallengeTx for SEP-10 challenge processing
  3. Verify server signature validation
    Review the code handling the SEP-10 challenge response and check if it explicitly calls Utils.verifyChallengeTxThreshold or Utils.verifyChallengeTxSigners to validate the server's signature on the transaction
    Affected if The application only uses readChallengeTx without additional server signature verification steps

You are affected if your js-stellar-sdk version is below 8.2.3 and your application relies on Utils.readChallengeTx without performing explicit server signature validation via verifyChallengeTxThreshold or verifyChallengeTxSigners.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.2.3 or later
Fixed in 8.2.3
Interim mitigation

Update js-stellar-sdk to version 8.2.3 or later. Applications should also consider using `Utils.verifyChallengeTxThreshold` or `Utils.verifyChallengeTxSigners` for server signature verification as a defense-in-depth measure.

Fix this in Js Stellar Sdk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-32738 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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