CVE-2019-5416: Localhost now Path Traversal Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-qwj8-p662-3m7x
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-5416 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Localhost now libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves path traversal in localhost-now. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2019-5416 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-5416
GHSA Identifier GHSA-qwj8-p662-3m7x
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Localhost now
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:H/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 High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-5416

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

localhost-now fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install localhost-now@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 localhost-now

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-5416, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls localhost-now

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Localhost now 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 localhost-now 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 Localhost now, 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 `localhost-now` are vulnerable to Path Traversal. The package fails to sanitize URLs, allowing attackers to access server files outside of the served folder using relative paths. ## Recommendation No fix is currently available. Consider using an alternative package until a fix is made available.

CVE-2019-5416 Affected Localhost now Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
localhost-now
npm/localhost-now
npm
≤ 1.0.2

References

NVD — CVE-2019-5416 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5416
hackerone.com/reports/334837 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/334837
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qwj8-p662-3m7x
www.npmjs.com/advisories/1005 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1005

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-5416?
CVE-2019-5416 is a security vulnerability in Localhost now involving Path Traversal in localhost-now under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Localhost now versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: localhost-now.
What version fixes CVE-2019-5416?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is localhost-now affected?
Yes, localhost-now 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-2019-5416?
CVE-2019-5416 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:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-5416?
CVE-2019-5416 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-2019-5416?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls localhost-now'. 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-qwj8-p662-3m7x",
  "modified" : "2023-09-11T18:38:48Z",
  "published" : "2019-03-25T16:17:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-5416" ],
  "summary" : "Path Traversal in localhost-now",
  "details" : "All versions of `localhost-now` are vulnerable to Path Traversal. The package fails to sanitize URLs, allowing attackers to access server files outside of the served folder using relative paths.\n\n\n## Recommendation\n\nNo fix is currently available. Consider using an alternative package 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:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "localhost-now"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "1.0.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5416"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/334837"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qwj8-p662-3m7x"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1005"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T20:49:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}