Yargs is a lightweight npm package designed for simplifying command-line argument parsing in Node.js applications, offering a straightforward approach to creating interactive CLIs. Both version 1.2.4 and 1.2.5 share the core functionality of parsing command-line arguments directly into a JavaScript object (argv) without relying on traditional optstrings. This makes it easier to access arguments by name. Both versions depend on the minimist package for the foundational parsing logic.
The key distinction between versions 1.2.4 and 1.2.5 lies in their release dates: version 1.2.5 was released shortly after 1.2.4, on June 18, 2014, with a difference of roughly 13 minutes. While the package descriptions and dependencies are identical, this suggests that version 1.2.5 likely contains minor bug fixes, performance improvements, or very subtle adjustments not explicitly reflected in the metadata.
For developers, Yargs provides a simple yet effective way to handle user input from the command line. The library’s ease of use and minimal dependencies make it a good choice for projects of any size. The MIT/X11 license ensures flexibility for both open-source and commercial applications. While the changes between versions 1.2.4 and 1.2.5 are minimal, it advised using the newest version to ensure you are using the latest bug fixes.
All the vulnerabilities related to the version 1.2.5 of the package
Prototype Pollution in minimist
Affected versions of minimist 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 --__proto__.y=Polluted adds a y property with value Polluted to all objects. The argument --__proto__=Polluted raises and uncaught error and crashes the application.
This is exploitable if attackers have control over the arguments being passed to minimist.
Upgrade to versions 0.2.1, 1.2.3 or later.
Prototype Pollution in minimist
Minimist prior to 1.2.6 and 0.2.4 is vulnerable to Prototype Pollution via file index.js, function setKey() (lines 69-95).
