The npm package xmlhttprequest-ssl provides XMLHttpRequest functionality for Node.js environments, enabling developers to make HTTP requests similarly to how they would in a web browser. Comparing versions 1.5.2 and 1.5.3 reveals a maintenance update focusing on stability and potentially minor bug fixes rather than groundbreaking feature additions. The jump from 1.5.2 (released January 26, 2016) to 1.5.3 (released September 20, 2016) indicates a period of roughly eight months between releases, suggesting that the changes in 1.5.3 were significant enough to warrant a new version. Since the dependencies field is empty in both versions, the update doesn't appear to stem from dependency updates.
For developers using xmlhttprequest-ssl, upgrading to version 1.5.3 is recommended to benefit from potential bug fixes and improved stability. While the core functionality remains the same, staying up-to-date ensures compatibility and minimizes the risk of encountering issues addressed in the newer version. Developers should always check the package's repository on GitHub for detailed changelogs or release notes that provide specific information about the fixes and improvements included in version 1.5.3, allowing for a more informed decision on whether the update is critical for their specific use case. Given the nature of the library, this update likely contains security enhancements for secure requests.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 1.5.3 of the package
Improper Certificate Validation in xmlhttprequest-ssl
The xmlhttprequest-ssl package before 1.6.1 for Node.js disables SSL certificate validation by default, because rejectUnauthorized (when the property exists but is undefined) is considered to be false within the https.request function of Node.js. In other words, no certificate is ever rejected.
xmlhttprequest and xmlhttprequest-ssl vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Injection
This affects the package xmlhttprequest before 1.7.0; all versions of package xmlhttprequest-ssl. Provided requests are sent synchronously (async=False on xhr.open), malicious user input flowing into xhr.send could result in arbitrary code being injected and run.
