CVE-2021-23567

Name: CVE-2021-23567
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-01-14T20:15:10.157+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 1.73%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-23567 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. The package colors after 1.4.0 are vulnerable to Denial of Service (DoS) that was introduced through an infinite loop in the americanFlag module. Unfortunately this appears to have been a purposeful attempt by a maintainer of colors to make the package unusable, other maintainers' controls over this package appear to have been revoked in an attempt to prevent them from fixing the issue. EPSS estimates a 1.73% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The package colors after 1.4.0 are vulnerable to Denial of Service (DoS) that was introduced through an infinite loop in the americanFlag module. Unfortunately this appears to have been a purposeful attempt by a maintainer of colors to make the package unusable, other maintainers' controls over this package appear to have been revoked in an attempt to prevent them from fixing the issue. Vulnerable Code js for (let i = 666; i < Infinity; i++;) { Alternative Remediation Suggested * Pin dependancy to 1.4.0

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

1.73%

74.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-835

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Colors.Js Project	Colors.Js	1.4.1
Colors.Js Project	Colors.Js	1.4.44-liberty-2

References

https://github.com/Marak/colors.js/commit/074a0f8ed0c31c35d13d28632bd8a049ff136fb6%23diff-92bbac9a308cd5fcf9db165841f2d90ce981baddcb2b1e26cfff170929af3bd1R18Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/Marak/colors.js/issues/285Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/Marak/colors.js/issues/285%23issuecomment-1008212640Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/blog/open-source-maintainer-pulls-the-plug-on-npm-packages-colors-and-faker-now-what/Exploit, Mitigation, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-COLORS-2331906Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/Marak/colors.js/commit/074a0f8ed0c31c35d13d28632bd8a049ff136fb6%23diff-92bbac9a308cd5fcf9db165841f2d90ce981baddcb2b1e26cfff170929af3bd1R18Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/Marak/colors.js/issues/285Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/Marak/colors.js/issues/285%23issuecomment-1008212640Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/blog/open-source-maintainer-pulls-the-plug-on-npm-packages-colors-and-faker-now-what/Exploit, Mitigation, Third Party Advisory
https://snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JS-COLORS-2331906Exploit, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 14, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23567?

How severe is CVE-2021-23567?

CVE-2021-23567 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.73% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-23567?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2021-23567?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST