MEDIUM CVSS 6.5
Published: 2023-05-08

CVE-2023-31125

socket engine.io Security Advisory (CVE-2023-31125)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2023-31125 impacting socket engine.io. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Engine.IO is the implementation of transport-based cross-browser/cross-device bi-directional communication layer for Socket.IO. An uncaught exception vulnerability was introduced in version 5.1.0 and included in version 4.1.0 of the `socket.io` parent package. Older versions are not impacted. A specially crafted HTTP request can trigger an uncaught exception on the Engine.IO server, thus killing the Node.js process. This impacts all the users of the `engine.io` package, including those who use depending packages like `socket.io`. This issue was fixed in version 6.4.2 of Engine.IO. There is no known workaround except upgrading to a safe version.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product socket / engine.io
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-248

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2023-31125 impacting socket engine.io.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2023-31125.yaml
id: cve-2023-31125

info:
  name: socket engine.io - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2023-31125 affecting socket engine.io.
    Evaluation: Engine.IO is the implementation of transport-based cross-browser/cross-device bi-directional communication layer for Socket.IO. An uncaught exception ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2023-31125
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 6.5
    cve-id: CVE-2023-31125
    cwe-id: CWE-248
  tags: cve,cve-2023-31125,socket,engine.io,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "engine.io"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2023-31125.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2023-31125
# Target: socket engine.io | CVSS: 6.5 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2023-31125 (socket engine.io)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against socket engine.io scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2023-31125.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2023-31125
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install engine.io 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade engine.io 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update engine.io

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i engine.io 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i engine.io

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2023-31125 in socket engine.io?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update socket engine.io packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2023-31125?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2023-31125?

CVE-2023-31125 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.5 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.5
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2023-31125
Weakness CWE-248
Vendor socket
Product engine.io
Published 2023-05-08
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H