CVE-2019-5447: Http file server Path Traversal Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-2mp5-m968-gwr2
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-5447 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Http file server libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves path traversal in http-file-server. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2019-5447 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-5447
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2mp5-m968-gwr2
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 Http file server
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:3.1/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-2019-5447

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Http file 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.

http-file-server fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install http-file-server@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 http-file-server

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-5447, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls http-file-server

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Http file server 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 http-file-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 Http file 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

All versions of `http-file-server` 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-2019-5447 Affected Http file server Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
http-file-server
npm/http-file-server
npm

References

NVD — CVE-2019-5447 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5447
hackerone.com/reports/570133 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/570133
www.npmjs.com/advisories/1077 WEB
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1077

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-5447?
CVE-2019-5447 is a security vulnerability in Http file server involving Path Traversal in http-file-server under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Http file server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: http-file-server.
What version fixes CVE-2019-5447?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is http-file-server affected?
Yes, http-file-server 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-2019-5447?
CVE-2019-5447 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-5447?
CVE-2019-5447 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-2019-5447?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls http-file-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-2mp5-m968-gwr2",
  "modified" : "2023-02-03T20:45:52Z",
  "published" : "2019-07-16T00:41:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-5447" ],
  "summary" : "Path Traversal in http-file-server",
  "details" : "All versions of `http-file-server` 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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "http-file-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "< 0.2.6"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5447"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/570133"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1077"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-07-15T21:41:32Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-07-15T18:15:00Z"
  }
}