Botocore-1.38.7-py3-none-any.whl: 2 Vulnerabilities (highest Severity Is: 5.3)
This article delves into the vulnerabilities identified in the botocore-1.38.7-py3-none-any.whl
library, specifically highlighting two medium-severity issues, CVE-2025-50182 and CVE-2025-50181, both with a CVSS score of 5.3. These vulnerabilities stem from a transitive dependency on urllib3-1.26.20-py2.py3-none-any.whl
. Understanding these vulnerabilities is crucial for developers and organizations using this library to ensure the security and integrity of their applications. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the issues, their potential impact, and the recommended steps for mitigation.
Vulnerabilities Overview
The botocore-1.38.7-py3-none-any.whl
library has been flagged with two medium-severity vulnerabilities, both related to its dependency on urllib3-1.26.20-py2.py3-none-any.whl
. The two identified vulnerabilities are:
- CVE-2025-50182: This vulnerability concerns the handling of redirects in
urllib3
when used in Pyodide environments. Specifically, the library does not properly control redirects, potentially leading to security risks. - CVE-2025-50181: This vulnerability involves the possibility of disabling redirects in
urllib3
in a way that could leave applications vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) or open redirect attacks.
Both vulnerabilities have a CVSS score of 5.3, indicating a medium level of severity. The following sections will provide a more detailed explanation of each vulnerability, its potential impact, and the recommended remediation steps.
CVE-2025-50182: Improper Redirect Handling in Pyodide
Vulnerability Details
CVE-2025-50182 affects urllib3
versions prior to 2.5.0. The vulnerability arises from the library's failure to control redirects when used within a Pyodide runtime, which leverages the JavaScript Fetch API or XMLHttpRequest. Pyodide allows Python libraries to make HTTP requests from browsers or Node.js environments. However, urllib3
's redirect control mechanisms, such as retries and redirect parameters, are ignored in Pyodide. This means that the runtime environment, rather than urllib3
, determines redirect behavior. This lack of control can lead to several security issues, including:
- Open Redirects: An attacker might manipulate redirects to direct users to malicious websites, potentially leading to phishing attacks or malware distribution.
- Information Disclosure: Sensitive information might be exposed if redirects are not handled securely, such as redirecting to an unencrypted HTTP endpoint.
- SSRF: In certain scenarios, uncontrolled redirects could be exploited to perform Server-Side Request Forgery attacks, where an attacker tricks the server into making requests to unintended locations.
Impact Assessment
The medium severity score of 5.3 for this vulnerability reflects the potential for significant impact under specific conditions. The attack complexity is rated as high, suggesting that exploitation requires a specific configuration or environment, such as the use of Pyodide. However, the confidentiality impact is rated as high, indicating that a successful exploit could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information. The integrity and availability impacts are rated as none, suggesting that the vulnerability primarily affects the confidentiality of data.
Remediation
The recommended fix for CVE-2025-50182 is to upgrade urllib3
to version 2.5.0 or later. This version includes a patch that properly handles redirects in Pyodide environments. For botocore
users, upgrading to version 1.38.8 or later will resolve the vulnerability, as this version includes the updated urllib3
dependency. The remediation is possible and straightforward, involving a simple version update.
CVE-2025-50181: Potential SSRF and Open Redirect Vulnerability
Vulnerability Details
CVE-2025-50181 also affects urllib3
versions prior to 2.5.0. This vulnerability stems from the fact that redirects can be disabled in urllib3
by instantiating a PoolManager
and specifying retries in a way that disables redirects. While this might seem like a security measure, it can leave applications vulnerable if not implemented correctly. Specifically, applications attempting to mitigate SSRF or open redirect vulnerabilities by disabling redirects at the PoolManager
level will remain vulnerable if other parts of the application still allow redirects. This situation can lead to:
- SSRF: An attacker might exploit the inconsistent redirect handling to trick the server into making requests to internal or external resources that it should not access.
- Open Redirects: Similar to CVE-2025-50182, an attacker could redirect users to malicious websites.
Impact Assessment
The medium severity score of 5.3 for CVE-2025-50181 mirrors that of CVE-2025-50182. The attack vector is network-based, and the attack complexity is high. The vulnerability requires low privileges and no user interaction, making it potentially exploitable in automated attacks. The confidentiality impact is rated as high, while integrity and availability impacts are none. This suggests that the primary risk is unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Remediation
The recommended fix for CVE-2025-50181 is also to upgrade urllib3
to version 2.5.0 or later. This version includes a patch that addresses the inconsistent redirect handling. For botocore
users, upgrading to version 1.38.8 or later will resolve the vulnerability by including the updated urllib3
dependency. Automatic remediation is possible for this issue, making the upgrade process more efficient.
Steps to Mitigate the Vulnerabilities
To effectively mitigate the vulnerabilities in botocore-1.38.7-py3-none-any.whl
, follow these steps:
- Identify Vulnerable Dependencies: Use a software composition analysis (SCA) tool or a vulnerability scanner to identify all instances of
botocore-1.38.7-py3-none-any.whl
andurllib3-1.26.20-py2.py3-none-any.whl
in your projects. - Upgrade botocore: Upgrade
botocore
to version 1.38.8 or later. This upgrade includes the patched version ofurllib3
(2.5.0), which resolves both CVE-2025-50182 and CVE-2025-50181. - Verify the Upgrade: After the upgrade, verify that the
urllib3
version is 2.5.0 or later. You can do this by checking the installed packages in your Python environment. - Test Your Applications: Thoroughly test your applications after the upgrade to ensure that the changes have not introduced any regressions or compatibility issues.
- Implement Secure Coding Practices: Review your application code to ensure that redirects are handled securely. Avoid disabling redirects at the
PoolManager
level without proper safeguards, and always validate and sanitize URLs to prevent open redirect vulnerabilities. - Monitor for New Vulnerabilities: Regularly monitor your dependencies for new vulnerabilities and apply updates promptly.
Detailed Analysis of urllib3 and its Role
Understanding urllib3
Urllib3 is a powerful, user-friendly HTTP client library for Python. It provides many features, including thread-safe connection pooling, file post support, and more. It is widely used in Python projects for making HTTP requests and is a critical component in many applications. The library's importance makes it a frequent target for security researchers and attackers, as vulnerabilities in urllib3
can have widespread implications.
The Importance of Secure HTTP Libraries
Secure HTTP libraries are essential for protecting applications from various web-based attacks. These libraries handle the complexities of HTTP communication, including connection management, request formatting, and response parsing. Vulnerabilities in these libraries can expose applications to risks such as:
- SSRF: Allows an attacker to make requests on behalf of the server, potentially accessing internal resources or interacting with external systems.
- Open Redirects: Enables an attacker to redirect users to malicious websites.
- Data Injection: Allows an attacker to inject malicious data into HTTP requests, potentially compromising the server or other users.
- Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Exposes communication to eavesdropping and tampering.
The Role of urllib3 in botocore
In the context of botocore
, urllib3
is used to handle HTTP requests to AWS services. botocore
is the underlying library that powers the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) and the AWS SDK for Python (Boto3). It provides the low-level functionality for interacting with AWS services. Therefore, any vulnerabilities in urllib3
can directly impact the security of applications and systems that rely on botocore
to access AWS resources.
CVSS Score Breakdown and Interpretation
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a standardized way to assess the severity of security vulnerabilities. Both CVE-2025-50182 and CVE-2025-50181 have a CVSS score of 5.3, which falls into the medium severity range. Understanding the components of the CVSS score can help in prioritizing remediation efforts.
Base Score Metrics
The base score is calculated from several metrics that reflect the intrinsic characteristics of the vulnerability:
- Attack Vector (AV): Network (N). This means the vulnerability can be exploited over a network, which increases its potential impact.
- Attack Complexity (AC): High (H). This indicates that the conditions for successful exploitation are specialized or that a successful attack is not easily achievable.
- Privileges Required (PR): Low (L). This means that an attacker needs only low-level privileges to exploit the vulnerability.
- User Interaction (UI): None (N). This indicates that no user interaction is required to trigger the vulnerability, making it easier to exploit.
- Scope (S): Unchanged (U). This means that the vulnerability's impact is limited to the affected component.
- Confidentiality Impact (C): High (H). A successful exploit could result in a high level of information disclosure.
- Integrity Impact (I): None (N). The vulnerability does not affect the integrity of the system or data.
- Availability Impact (A): None (N). The vulnerability does not affect the availability of the system.
Interpretation
The CVSS score of 5.3 indicates that while the vulnerabilities are not as critical as high-severity issues, they still pose a significant risk, particularly due to the potential for information disclosure. The high attack complexity suggests that exploitation is not trivial, but the network attack vector and lack of required user interaction mean that the vulnerabilities can be exploited remotely without user intervention. This highlights the importance of applying the recommended mitigations to protect against potential attacks.
Automatic Remediation and Future Prevention
Automatic Remediation
Automatic remediation is an important aspect of vulnerability management. In the case of the vulnerabilities in botocore-1.38.7-py3-none-any.whl
, automatic remediation is possible, making the upgrade process more efficient. Tools that support automatic remediation can identify vulnerable dependencies and automatically apply the necessary updates, reducing the manual effort required to address security issues.
Future Prevention
To prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future, consider the following measures:
- Regular Dependency Updates: Keep your dependencies up to date to benefit from security patches and bug fixes.
- Software Composition Analysis (SCA): Use SCA tools to continuously monitor your dependencies for known vulnerabilities.
- Secure Development Practices: Implement secure coding practices to minimize the risk of introducing new vulnerabilities.
- Vulnerability Scanning: Regularly scan your applications and systems for vulnerabilities.
- Security Training: Provide security training for developers and operations teams to raise awareness and improve security practices.
Conclusion
The vulnerabilities identified in botocore-1.38.7-py3-none-any.whl
highlight the importance of proactive vulnerability management and the need to keep dependencies up to date. CVE-2025-50182 and CVE-2025-50181, both stemming from urllib3-1.26.20-py2.py3-none-any.whl
, pose a medium-severity risk but can lead to significant security impacts if exploited. By upgrading to botocore
version 1.38.8 or later, organizations can effectively mitigate these vulnerabilities and ensure the security of their applications. Additionally, implementing secure coding practices, using SCA tools, and regularly monitoring for new vulnerabilities are crucial steps in maintaining a robust security posture.