Sass version 1.12.0 introduces subtle but noteworthy refinements compared to its predecessor, version 1.11.0. Both versions provide a pure JavaScript implementation of the popular Sass stylesheet language, catering to developers seeking seamless integration into JavaScript-based workflows. Key functionalities remain consistent, with both relying on chokidar for efficient file watching, adhering to the MIT license, and originating from the same Dart Sass GitHub repository managed by Natalie Weizenbaum.
The primary distinctions lie in the nuances of the release details. Version 1.12.0 was published on August 15, 2018, subsequent to version 1.11.0's release on August 13, 2018, indicating a relatively quick iteration cycle. While both versions comprise four files in their distributed tarballs, a slight variation exists in the unpacked size. Version 1.12.0 presents a slightly smaller unpacked size of 692338 bytes compared to version 1.11.0's 692791 bytes, potentially reflecting miniscule performance enhancements or adjustments in file compression techniques.
For developers, this iteration offers a potentially more streamlined albeit very similar experience. The core functionality of Sass remains unchanged. The reduced unpacked size *may* translate into marginal improvements in installation and loading times, especially in resource-constrained environments. Since both versions are very close in their release date, the decision to upgrade comes down to whether developers prefer the absolute latest version. Both tgz files are available from npm's registry.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 1.12.0 of the package
Uncontrolled resource consumption in braces
The NPM package braces fails to limit the number of characters it can handle, which could lead to Memory Exhaustion. In lib/parse.js, if a malicious user sends "imbalanced braces" as input, the parsing will enter a loop, which will cause the program to start allocating heap memory without freeing it at any moment of the loop. Eventually, the JavaScript heap limit is reached, and the program will crash.
Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) in micromatch
The NPM package micromatch prior to version 4.0.8 is vulnerable to Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS). The vulnerability occurs in micromatch.braces() in index.js because the pattern .* will greedily match anything. By passing a malicious payload, the pattern matching will keep backtracking to the input while it doesn't find the closing bracket. As the input size increases, the consumption time will also increase until it causes the application to hang or slow down. There was a merged fix but further testing shows the issue persisted prior to https://github.com/micromatch/micromatch/pull/266. This issue should be mitigated by using a safe pattern that won't start backtracking the regular expression due to greedy matching.
