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CVE-2016-10535

Timing Attack in csrf-lite

5.9 MediumFix available

csrf-lite is a cross-site request forgery protection library for framework-less node sites. csrf-lite uses ===, a fail first string comparison, instead of a time constant string comparison This enables an attacker to guess the secret in no more than (16*18)288 guesses, instead of the 16^18 guesses required were the timing attack not present.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

1.28%Up 0.4 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 5.9

csrf-lite is a cross-site request forgery protection library for framework-less node sites. csrf-lite uses ===, a fail first string comparison, instead of a time constant string comparison This enables an attacker to guess the secret in no more than (16*18)288 guesses, instead of the 16^18 guesses required were the timing attack not present.

Record
CVE-2016-10535
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 2.0
4.3 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-208, CWE-310
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

csrf-lite is a cross-site request forgery protection library for framework-less node sites. csrf-lite uses ===, a fail first string comparison, instead of a time constant string comparison This enables an attacker to guess the secret in no more than (16*18)288 guesses, instead of the 16^18 guesses required were the timing attack not present.

Record
CVE-2016-10535
Weakness
CWE-208
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-0303 No score

csrf-lite is a cross-site request forgery protection library for framework-less node sites. csrf-lite uses ===, a fail first string comparison, instead of a time constant string comparison This enables an attacker to guess the secret in no more than (16*18)288 guesses, instead of the 16^18 guesses required were the timing attack not present.

Record
EUVD-2019-0303
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-hjhr-r3gq-qvp6 No score

Timing Attack in csrf-lite

Affected versions of csrf-lite are vulnerable to timing attacks as a result of testing CSRF tokens via a fail-early comparison instead of a constant-time comparison.

Timing attacks remove the exponential increase in entropy gained from increased secret length, by providing per-character feedback on the correctness of a guess via miniscule timing differences.

Under favorable network conditions, an attacker can exploit this to guess the secret in no more than (16*18)288 guesses, instead of the 16^18 guesses required were the timing attack not present.

Recommendation

Update to version 0.1.2 or later.

Record
GHSA-hjhr-r3gq-qvp6
Weakness
CWE-208
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.9

csrf-lite is a cross-site request forgery protection library for framework-less node sites. csrf-lite uses ===, a fail first string comparison, instead of a time constant string comparison This enables an attacker to guess the secret in no more than (16*18)288 guesses, instead of the 16^18 guesses required were the timing attack not present.

Record
CVE-2016-10535
CVSS 3.0
5.9 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-hjhr-r3gq-qvp6 No score

Timing Attack in csrf-lite

Affected versions of csrf-lite are vulnerable to timing attacks as a result of testing CSRF tokens via a fail-early comparison instead of a constant-time comparison.

Timing attacks remove the exponential increase in entropy gained from increased secret length, by providing per-character feedback on the correctness of a guess via miniscule timing differences.

Under favorable network conditions, an attacker can exploit this to guess the secret in no more than (16*18)288 guesses, instead of the 16^18 guesses required were the timing attack not present.

Recommendation

Update to version 0.1.2 or later.

Record
GHSA-hjhr-r3gq-qvp6
Weakness
CWE-208
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
csrf-lite
npm
before 0.1.2
0.1.2

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2016-10535 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.9) in Csrf-lite Project Csrf-lite, published May 31, 2018. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.28%, the 70th percentile. Fixed in csrf-lite 0.1.2.

References

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