Yargs-parser is a widely used npm package, "the mighty option parser used by yargs," facilitating command-line argument parsing in Node.js applications. Examining versions 14.0.0 and 13.1.2 reveals subtle but potentially impactful changes for developers. Both versions share core dependencies on camelcase and decamelize for string manipulation, alongside identical development dependencies including nyc for coverage, chai and mocha for testing, standard for code style, coveralls for coverage reporting, and standard-version for version management. This consistency suggests a stable development process and reliance on established tools.
The key differences lie in the release dates and potentially in internal improvements not explicitly detailed. Version 14.0.0 was released on September 6, 2019, while version 13.1.2 came out later, on March 13, 2020. This temporal gap of approximately six months suggests accumulated bug fixes, performance tweaks, or feature enhancements in the later version. Developers prioritizing the most recent fixes and optimizations would likely prefer version 13.1.2. Furthermore, the unpackedSize differs slightly (61025 bytes vs. 57117 bytes), hinting at potentially new code, assets, or expanded documentation in the newer version.
While the core functionality appears unchanged, staying updated to the latest minor or patch version like 13.1.2 provides developers with the confidence of using the most refined and potentially more performant iteration of the parser. This underscores the importance of regularly reviewing package updates for subtle but meaningful enhancements to existing packages.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 14.0.0 of the package
yargs-parser Vulnerable to Prototype Pollution
Affected versions of yargs-parser are vulnerable to prototype pollution. Arguments are not properly sanitized, allowing an attacker to modify the prototype of Object, causing the addition or modification of an existing property that will exist on all objects.
Parsing the argument --foo.__proto__.bar baz' adds a bar property with value baz to all objects. This is only exploitable if attackers have control over the arguments being passed to yargs-parser.
Upgrade to versions 13.1.2, 15.0.1, 18.1.1 or later.
