CVE-2018-16478: Simplehttpserver Path Traversal Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vwr2-wj63-86gr
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-16478 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Simplehttpserver libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves path traversal in simplehttpserver. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2018-16478 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-16478
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vwr2-wj63-86gr
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 Simplehttpserver
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:3.0/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-2018-16478

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

simplehttpserver fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install simplehttpserver@Latest secure release
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 simplehttpserver

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2018-16478, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls simplehttpserver

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

Note: The npm ls simplehttpserver 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 Simplehttpserver, 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 `simplehttpserver` are vulnerable to Path Traversal. This vulnerability allows an attacker to access files outside the webroot since it allows symlink navigation in the URL. ## Recommendation No fix is currently available. Do not use `simplehttpserver` in production or consider using an alternative module until a fix is made available.

CVE-2018-16478 Affected Simplehttpserver Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
simplehttpserver
npm/simplehttpserver
npm
≤ 0.3.0

References

NVD — CVE-2018-16478 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16478
hackerone.com/reports/403703 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/403703
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vwr2-wj63-86gr
Simplehttpserver Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/nodejs/security-wg/blob/master/vuln/npm/484.json
Simplehttpserver Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/tikonen/blog/tree/master/simplehttpserver
www.npmjs.com/advisories/744 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/744

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16478?
CVE-2018-16478 is a security vulnerability in Simplehttpserver involving Path Traversal in simplehttpserver under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Simplehttpserver versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: simplehttpserver.
What version fixes CVE-2018-16478?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is simplehttpserver affected?
Yes, simplehttpserver is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-16478?
CVE-2018-16478 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-16478?
CVE-2018-16478 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-2018-16478?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls simplehttpserver'. 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-vwr2-wj63-86gr",
  "modified" : "2023-09-12T21:07:28Z",
  "published" : "2018-12-06T15:49:10Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16478" ],
  "summary" : "Path Traversal in simplehttpserver",
  "details" : "All versions of `simplehttpserver` are vulnerable to Path Traversal. \n\nThis vulnerability allows an attacker to access files outside the webroot since it allows symlink navigation in the URL.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nNo fix is currently available. Do not use `simplehttpserver` in production or consider using an alternative module until a fix is made available.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "simplehttpserver"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "0.3.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16478"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/403703"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vwr2-wj63-86gr"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/nodejs/security-wg/blob/master/vuln/npm/484.json"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/tikonen/blog/tree/master/simplehttpserver"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/744"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:58:36Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}