CVE-2021-39135

UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following in @npmcli/arborist

Description

`@npmcli/arborist`, the library that calculates dependency trees and manages the node_modules folder hierarchy for the npm command line interface, aims to guarantee that package dependency contracts will be met, and the extraction of package contents will always be performed into the expected folder. This is accomplished by extracting package contents into a project's `node_modules` folder. If the `node_modules` folder of the root project or any of its dependencies is somehow replaced with a symbolic link, it could allow Arborist to write package dependencies to any arbitrary location on the file system. Note that symbolic links contained within package artifact contents are filtered out, so another means of creating a `node_modules` symbolic link would have to be employed. 1. A `preinstall` script could replace `node_modules` with a symlink. (This is prevented by using `--ignore-scripts`.) 2. An attacker could supply the target with a git repository, instructing them to run `npm install --ignore-scripts` in the root. This may be successful, because `npm install --ignore-scripts` is typically not capable of making changes outside of the project directory, so it may be deemed safe. This is patched in @npmcli/arborist 2.8.2 which is included in npm v7.20.7 and above. For more information including workarounds please see the referenced GHSA-gmw6-94gg-2rc2.

Categories

8.2
CVSS
Severity: High
CVSS 3.1 •
CVSS 2.0 •
EPSS 0.30%
Third-Party Advisory siemens.com Third-Party Advisory github.com Third-Party Advisory oracle.com
Affected: npm arborist
Published at:
Updated at:

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the severity of CVE-2021-39135?
CVE-2021-39135 has been scored as a high severity vulnerability.
How to fix CVE-2021-39135?
To fix CVE-2021-39135, make sure you are using an up-to-date version of the affected component(s) by checking the vendor release notes. As for now, there are no other specific guidelines available.
Is CVE-2021-39135 being actively exploited in the wild?
As for now, there are no information to confirm that CVE-2021-39135 is being actively exploited. According to its EPSS score, there is a ~0% probability that this vulnerability will be exploited by malicious actors in the next 30 days.
What software or system is affected by CVE-2021-39135?
CVE-2021-39135 affects npm arborist.
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