CVE-2021-32804

HIGH

node-tar <6.1.1,5.0.6,4.4.14,3.3.2 - File Creation/Overwrite

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

EIP tracks 1 public exploit for CVE-2021-32804. PoCs published by yamory.

AI-analyzed exploit summary This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept for CVE-2021-32804, a path traversal vulnerability in the `node-tar` library. The PoC demonstrates how an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to write arbitrary files outside the intended directory, leading to potential remote code execution (RCE).

Description

The npm package "tar" (aka node-tar) before versions 6.1.1, 5.0.6, 4.4.14, and 3.3.2 has a arbitrary File Creation/Overwrite vulnerability due to insufficient absolute path sanitization. node-tar aims to prevent extraction of absolute file paths by turning absolute paths into relative paths when the `preservePaths` flag is not set to `true`. This is achieved by stripping the absolute path root from any absolute file paths contained in a tar file. For example `/home/user/.bashrc` would turn into `home/user/.bashrc`. This logic was insufficient when file paths contained repeated path roots such as `////home/user/.bashrc`. `node-tar` would only strip a single path root from such paths. When given an absolute file path with repeating path roots, the resulting path (e.g. `///home/user/.bashrc`) would still resolve to an absolute path, thus allowing arbitrary file creation and overwrite. This issue was addressed in releases 3.2.2, 4.4.14, 5.0.6 and 6.1.1. Users may work around this vulnerability without upgrading by creating a custom `onentry` method which sanitizes the `entry.path` or a `filter` method which removes entries with absolute paths. See referenced GitHub Advisory for details. Be aware of CVE-2021-32803 which fixes a similar bug in later versions of tar.

Exploits (1)

nomisec WORKING POC 1 stars
by yamory · poc
https://github.com/yamory/CVE-2021-32804

This repository contains a functional proof-of-concept for CVE-2021-32804, a path traversal vulnerability in the `node-tar` library. The PoC demonstrates how an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to write arbitrary files outside the intended directory, leading to potential remote code execution (RCE).

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Rce
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: node-tar (versions before 6.1.1, 5.0.6, 4.4.14)
No auth needed
Prerequisites: Access to a system using a vulnerable version of node-tar or npm
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 18, 2026 Full analysis →

References (6)

Core 6
Core References
Product, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://www.npmjs.com/package/tar
Mitigation, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_confirm
https://github.com/npm/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-3jfq-g458-7qm9
Mitigation, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1770
Patch, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
Patch, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_confirm
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdf

Scores

CVSS v3 8.2
EPSS 0.8498
EPSS Percentile 99.4%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

Details

CWE
CWE-22
Status published
Products (5)
npm/tar 0 - 3.2.2npm
oracle/graalvm 20.3.3
oracle/graalvm 21.2.0
siemens/sinec_infrastructure_network_services < 1.0.1.1
tar_project/tar < 3.2.2
Published Aug 03, 2021
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026