CVE-2021-39135: `@npmcli/arborist`, the library that calculates dependency trees and manages the node_modules folder hierarchy for the npm command line interface, aims to…

PriorityP339high7.8CVSS 3.1

AVLACLPRNUIRSUCHIHAH

EPSS

0.55%

42.5th percentile

`@npmcli/arborist`, the library that calculates dependency trees and manages the node_modules folder hierarchy for the npm command line interface, aims to guarantee that package dependency contracts will be met, and the extraction of package contents will always be performed into the expected folder. This is accomplished by extracting package contents into a project's `node_modules` folder. If the `node_modules` folder of the root project or any of its dependencies is somehow replaced with a symbolic link, it could allow Arborist to write package dependencies to any arbitrary location on the file system. Note that symbolic links contained within package artifact contents are filtered out, so another means of creating a `node_modules` symbolic link would have to be employed. 1. A `preinstall` script could replace `node_modules` with a symlink. (This is prevented by using `--ignore-scripts`.) 2. An attacker could supply the target with a git repository, instructing them to run `npm install --ignore-scripts` in the root. This may be successful, because `npm install --ignore-scripts` is typically not capable of making changes outside of the project directory, so it may be deemed safe. This is patched in @npmcli/arborist 2.8.2 which is included in npm v7.20.7 and above. For more information including workarounds please see the referenced GHSA-gmw6-94gg-2rc2.

Affected

10 ranges

Vendor	Product	Version range	Fixed in
debian	npm	< npm 7.24.0+ds-2 (bookworm)	npm 7.24.0+ds-2 (bookworm)
npm	arborist	< 2.8.2	2.8.2
npmcli	arborist	>= 0 < 2.8.2	2.8.2
npmjs	arborist	< 2.8.2	2.8.2
npmjs	npm	>= 0 < 7.24.0+ds-2	7.24.0+ds-2
npmjs	npm	>= 0 < 7.24.0+ds-2	7.24.0+ds-2
npmjs	npm	>= 0 < 7.24.0+ds-2	7.24.0+ds-2
oracle	graalvm	—	—
oracle	graalvm	—	—
siemens	sinec_infrastructure_network_services	< 1.0.1.1	1.0.1.1

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.17.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvdv2.04.4MEDIUMAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

osv7.8HIGH

vendor_debian8.2HIGH

vendor_redhat8.2HIGH

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