CVE-2021-32803

Arbitrary File Creation/Overwrite via insufficient symlink protection due to directory cache poisoning

HIGH
8.1
CVSS Score
Published: August 3, 2021 at 07:05 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 03:53 AM UTC
4 products affected across 4 vendorsGraalVMSinec Infrastructure Network ServicesTar

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Severity
HIGH8.1
Exploit prediction
EPSS 8%

Description

The npm package "tar" (aka node-tar) before versions 6.1.2, 5.0.7, 4.4.15, and 3.2.3 has an arbitrary File Creation/Overwrite vulnerability via insufficient symlink protection. `node-tar` aims to guarantee that any file whose location would be modified by a symbolic link is not extracted. This is, in part, achieved by ensuring that extracted directories are not symlinks. Additionally, in order to prevent unnecessary `stat` calls to determine whether a given path is a directory, paths are cached when directories are created. This logic was insufficient when extracting tar files that contained both a directory and a symlink with the same name as the directory. This order of operations resulted in the directory being created and added to the `node-tar` directory cache. When a directory is present in the directory cache, subsequent calls to mkdir for that directory are skipped. However, this is also where `node-tar` checks for symlinks occur. By first creating a directory, and then replacing that directory with a symlink, it was thus possible to bypass `node-tar` symlink checks on directories, essentially allowing an untrusted tar file to symlink into an arbitrary location and subsequently extracting arbitrary files into that location, thus allowing arbitrary file creation and overwrite. This issue was addressed in releases 3.2.3, 4.4.15, 5.0.7 and 6.1.2.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v < 1.0.1.1
Affected range stops below 1.0.1.1, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
v < 3.2.34.0.0 ≤ v < 4.4.155.0.0 ≤ v < 5.0.76.0.0 ≤ v < 6.1.2
Affected range stops below 3.2.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.4.15, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 5.0.7, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 6.1.2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
60%
v < 3.2.3v < 4.4.15v < 5.0.7v < 6.1.2
Affected range stops below 3.2.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 4.4.15, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 5.0.7, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 6.1.2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

References (6)

x_refsource_MISCMitigationThird Party Advisory
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1771
x_refsource_MISCProductThird Party Advisory
https://www.npmjs.com/package/tar
x_refsource_MISCPatchThird Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html

CVSS

Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
REQUIRED
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-22CWE-59

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