OpenSSL security releases require Node.js security releases

By Joe Sepi, 2022-03-18

(Update 18-Mar-2022) Security releases available

Updates are now available for v17.x, v16.x, v14.x, and v12.x Node.js release lines to incorporate upstream patches from OpenSSL.

Update to OpenSSL 3.0.2n and 1.1.1n, (High) (CVE-2022-0778)

Infinite loop in BN_mod_sqrt() reachable when parsing certificates. More details are available at <https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20220315.txt&gt;

Impacts:

• All versions of the 17.x, 16.x, 14.x, and 12.x releases lines.

Downloads and release details

• Node.js v12.22.11 (LTS)
• Node.js v14.19.1 (LTS)
• Node.js v16.14.2 (LTS)
• Node.js v17.7.2 (Current)

(Update 16-Mar-2022) Summary

The Node.js project will release new versions of the 12.x, 14.x, 16.x, and 17.x releases lines on or shortly after Thursday, March 17th, 2022 to incorporate upstream patches from OpenSSL.

Impact

The 17.x release line of Node.js is vulnerable to one High severity issue.

The 16.x release line of Node.js is vulnerable to one High severity issue.

The 14.x release line of Node.js is vulnerable to one High severity issue.

The 12.x release line of Node.js is vulnerable to one High severity issue.

Release timing

Releases will be available on, or shortly after, Thursday, March 17th, 2022.

Contact and future updates

The current Node.js security policy can be found at https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/SECURITY.md. Please follow the process outlined in https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/SECURITY.md if you wish to report a vulnerability in Node.js.

Subscribe to the low-volume announcement-only nodejs-sec mailing list at <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/nodejs-sec&gt; to stay up to date on security vulnerabilities and security-related releases of Node.js and the projects maintained in the nodejs GitHub organization.

Summary

The Node.js project may be releasing new versions across all of its supported release lines late this week to incorporate upstream patches from OpenSSL. Please read on for full details.

OpenSSL

The OpenSSL project announced this week that they will be releasing versions 3.0.2 and 1.1.1n on the 15th of March 2022 between 1300-1700 UTC. The releases will fix two security defects that are labelled as “HIGH” severity under their security policy.

Node.js v12.x, v14.x and v16.x use OpenSSL v1.1.1 and Node.js v17.x uses OpenSSL v3. Therefore all active release lines are impacted by this update.

At this stage, due to embargo, the exact nature of these defects is uncertain as well as the impact they will have on Node.js users.

After assessing the impact on Node.js, it will be decided whether the issues fixed require immediate security releases of Node.js, or whether they can be included in the normally scheduled updates.

Please monitor the nodejs-sec Google Group for updates, including a decision within 24 hours after the OpenSSL release regarding release timing, and full details of the defects upon eventual release: <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/nodejs-sec&gt;

Contact and future updates

The current Node.js security policy can be found at https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/HEAD/SECURITY.md#security, including information on how to report a vulnerability in Node.js.

Subscribe to the low-volume announcement-only nodejs-sec mailing list at <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/nodejs-sec&gt; to stay up to date on security vulnerabilities and security-related releases of Node.js and the projects maintained in the nodejs GitHub organization.