CVE-2018-16485: M server Path Traversal Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-899g-6q6w-7v94
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-16485 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting M server libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves m-server vulnerable to directory traversal. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.4.1.

CVE-2018-16485 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-16485
GHSA Identifier GHSA-899g-6q6w-7v94
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product M server
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2018-16485

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

m-server fixed: 1.4.1 
npm install m-server@1.4.1
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 m-server

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-16485, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls m-server

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of M server in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.4.1), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls m-server 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 M server, 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

Path Traversal vulnerability in module m-server <1.4.1 allows malicious user to access unauthorized content of any file in the directory tree e.g. /etc/passwd by appending slashes to the URL request.

CVE-2018-16485 Affected M server Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.4.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
m-server
npm/m-server
npm
< 1.4.1
1.4.1

References

NVD — CVE-2018-16485 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16485
hackerone.com/reports/319795 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/319795
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-899g-6q6w-7v94

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16485?
CVE-2018-16485 is a security vulnerability in M server involving m-server Vulnerable to Directory Traversal under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which M server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.1 across affected packages: m-server.
What version fixes CVE-2018-16485?
Upgrading to 1.4.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is m-server affected?
Yes, m-server is affected in releases prior to 1.4.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-16485?
CVE-2018-16485 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-16485?
CVE-2018-16485 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-2018-16485?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls m-server'. 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-899g-6q6w-7v94",
  "modified" : "2023-09-12T20:43:11Z",
  "published" : "2019-02-18T23:58:00Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16485" ],
  "summary" : "m-server Vulnerable to Directory Traversal",
  "details" : "Path Traversal vulnerability in module m-server <1.4.1 allows malicious user to access unauthorized content of any file in the directory tree e.g. /etc/passwd by appending slashes to the URL request.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "m-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.4.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16485"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/319795"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-899g-6q6w-7v94"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:25:05Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}