CVE-2019-5438: Harp Unauthorized File Access Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6fmm-47qc-p4m4
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-5438 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) unauthorized file access vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Harp libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves unauthorized file access in harp. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.40.3.

CVE-2019-5438 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-5438
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6fmm-47qc-p4m4
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Harp
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-5438

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Harp dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

harp fixed: 0.40.3 
npm install harp@0.40.3
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls harp

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-5438, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls harp

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Harp in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.40.3), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls harp command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Harp, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

All versions of `harp` are vulnerable to Unauthorized File Access. If a symlink in the project's base directory points to a file outside of the directory, the file is served. This could allow an attacker to access sensitive files on the server. ## Recommendation No fix is currently available. Consider using an alternative module until a fix is made available.

CVE-2019-5438 Affected Harp Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.40.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
harp
npm/harp
npm
< 0.40.3
0.40.3

References

NVD — CVE-2019-5438 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5438
hackerone.com/reports/530289 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/530289
www.npmjs.com/advisories/816 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/816

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-5438?
CVE-2019-5438 is a security vulnerability in Harp involving Unauthorized File Access in harp under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Harp versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.40.3 across affected packages: harp.
What version fixes CVE-2019-5438?
Upgrading to 0.40.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is harp affected?
Yes, harp is affected in releases prior to 0.40.3. Upgrade your dependency to 0.40.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-5438?
CVE-2019-5438 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-5438?
CVE-2019-5438 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2019-5438?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls harp'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-6fmm-47qc-p4m4",
  "modified" : "2023-09-07T21:41:55Z",
  "published" : "2019-06-13T16:12:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-5438" ],
  "summary" : "Unauthorized File Access in harp",
  "details" : "All versions of `harp` are vulnerable to Unauthorized File Access. If a symlink in the project's base directory points to a file outside of the directory, the file is served. This could allow an attacker to access sensitive files on the server.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nNo fix is currently available. Consider using an alternative module until a fix is made available.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "harp"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.40.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5438"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/530289"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/816"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-06-13T16:10:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}