CVE-2019-13173: Fstream Arbitrary File Overwrite Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xf7w-r453-m56c
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-59
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-13173 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) arbitrary file overwrite vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting Fstream libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves arbitrary file overwrite in fstream. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.0.12.

CVE-2019-13173 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-13173
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xf7w-r453-m56c
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Product Fstream
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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:N/I:H/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 None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-13173

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

fstream fixed: 1.0.12 
npm install fstream@1.0.12
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 fstream

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-13173, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls fstream

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Fstream in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.0.12), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls fstream 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 Fstream, 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 `fstream` prior to 1.0.12 are vulnerable to Arbitrary File Overwrite. Extracting tarballs containing a hardlink to a file that already exists in the system and a file that matches the hardlink will overwrite the system's file with the contents of the extracted file. The `fstream.DirWriter()` function is vulnerable. ## Recommendation Upgrade to version 1.0.12 or later.

CVE-2019-13173 Affected Fstream Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.0.12
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
fstream
npm/fstream
npm
< 1.0.12
1.0.12

References

NVD — CVE-2019-13173 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-13173
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/npm/fstream/commit/6a77d2fa6e1462693cf8e46f930da96ec1b0bb22
usn.ubuntu.com/4123-1 WEB
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4123-1
www.npmjs.com/advisories/886 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/886
Fstream Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-08/msg00010.html
Fstream Security Information SECURITY
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-08/msg00052.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-13173?
CVE-2019-13173 is a security vulnerability in Fstream involving Arbitrary File Overwrite in fstream under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following').
Which Fstream versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.0.12 across affected packages: fstream.
What version fixes CVE-2019-13173?
Upgrading to 1.0.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is fstream affected?
Yes, fstream is affected in releases prior to 1.0.12. Upgrade your dependency to 1.0.12 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-13173?
CVE-2019-13173 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-13173?
CVE-2019-13173 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-2019-13173?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls fstream'. 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-xf7w-r453-m56c",
  "modified" : "2021-08-04T20:12:16Z",
  "published" : "2019-05-30T17:19:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-13173" ],
  "summary" : "Arbitrary File Overwrite in fstream",
  "details" : "Versions of `fstream` prior to 1.0.12 are vulnerable to Arbitrary File Overwrite. Extracting tarballs containing a hardlink to a file that already exists in the system and a file that matches the hardlink will overwrite the system's file with the contents of the extracted file. The `fstream.DirWriter()` function is vulnerable.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nUpgrade to version 1.0.12 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "fstream"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-13173"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/npm/fstream/commit/6a77d2fa6e1462693cf8e46f930da96ec1b0bb22"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://usn.ubuntu.com/4123-1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/886"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-08/msg00010.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-08/msg00052.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-59" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-05-30T17:17:33Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}