CVE-2019-16775: Npm Arbitrary File Write Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cx
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CVSS 7.7
CWE-59 CWE-61
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-16775 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.7) arbitrary file write vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Npm libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves arbitrary file write in npm. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 6.13.3.

CVE-2019-16775 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-16775
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cx
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.7
CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Product Npm
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.7

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2019-16775

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

npm fixed: 6.13.3 
npm install npm@6.13.3
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 npm

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-16775, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls npm

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Npm in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 6.13.3), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls npm 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-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. In Npm, 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

Versions of the npm CLI prior to 6.13.3 are vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Write. It fails to prevent access to folders outside of the intended node_modules folder through the bin field. A properly constructed entry in the package.json bin field would allow a package publisher to create files on a user's system when the package is installed. It is only possible to affect files that the user running `npm install` has access to and it is not possible to over write files that already exist on disk. This behavior is still possible through install scripts. This vulnerability bypasses a user using the --ignore-scripts install option. ## Recommendation Upgrade to version 6.13.3 or later.

CVE-2019-16775 Affected Npm Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
6.13.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
npm
npm/npm
npm
< 6.13.3
6.13.3

References

access.redhat.com/errata/rhea-2020:03... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHEA-2020:0330
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2020:05... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0573
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2020:05... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0579
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2020:05... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0597
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2020:06... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0602
Npm Security Information SECURITY
https://blog.npmjs.org/post/189618601100/binary-planting-with-the-npm-cli
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cx
Npm Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/npm/cli
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Z36UKPO5F3PQ3Q2POMF5LEKXWAH5RUFP
Npm Security Information SECURITY
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1434
Npm Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html
Npm Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
Npm Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-01/msg00027.html
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/npm/cli/security/advisories/GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cx
NVD — CVE-2019-16775 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-16775

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-16775?
CVE-2019-16775 is a security vulnerability in Npm involving Arbitrary File Write in npm under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which Npm versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 6.13.3 across affected packages: npm.
What version fixes CVE-2019-16775?
Upgrading to 6.13.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is npm affected?
Yes, npm is affected in releases prior to 6.13.3. Upgrade your dependency to 6.13.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-16775?
CVE-2019-16775 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.7 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-16775?
CVE-2019-16775 is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2019-16775?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls npm'. 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-m6cx-g6qm-p2cx",
  "modified" : "2021-10-21T21:16:09Z",
  "published" : "2019-12-13T15:39:19Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-16775" ],
  "summary" : "Arbitrary File Write in npm",
  "details" : "Versions of the npm CLI prior to 6.13.3 are vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Write. It fails to prevent access to folders outside of the intended node_modules folder through the bin field. A properly constructed entry in the package.json bin field would allow a package publisher to create files on a user's system when the package is installed. It is only possible to affect files that the user running `npm install` has access to and it is not possible to over write files that already exist on disk.\n\nThis behavior is still possible through install scripts. This vulnerability bypasses a user using the --ignore-scripts install option.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpgrade to version 6.13.3 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "npm"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.13.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/npm/cli/security/advisories/GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cx"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-16775"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHEA-2020:0330"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0573"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0579"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0597"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0602"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://blog.npmjs.org/post/189618601100/binary-planting-with-the-npm-cli"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cx"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/npm/cli"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Z36UKPO5F3PQ3Q2POMF5LEKXWAH5RUFP"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1434"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-01/msg00027.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-59", "CWE-61" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-17T16:30:50Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-12-13T01:15:00Z"
  }
}