THREATPORT/VULNERABILITY/CVE-2021-32804
HIGH SEVERITY

CVE-2021-32804

Tar vulnerability

CVSS
8.2
EPSS
15.0%
EPSS pct
96th
Exploited
No known
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.
Affected vendor
Tar Project
Affected product
Tar
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness type (CWE)
Published
2021-08-03

Risk analysis

Based on its CVSS vector, this vulnerability is exploitable with local access, low attack complexity, requiring no privileges, user interaction. Successful exploitation leads to high impact to confidentiality, high impact to integrity.

Its EPSS score of 15.0% reflects a moderate probability of exploitation activity in the wild over the next 30 days, placing it above 96% of all scored CVEs.

Check your external exposure to CVE-2021-32804

  • Confirm whether Tar Project Tar is running on any internet-facing host or subdomain.
  • Match discovered service fingerprints against the version affected by CVE-2021-32804.
  • Prioritise remediation if the asset is public, business-critical, or near authentication/payment flows.

How ThreatPort helps with CVE-2021-32804

ThreatPort's external attack surface scanner checks your internet-facing assets — agentlessly, from the outside in — for the exposed services and versions that CVE-2021-32804 affects, then prioritises the finding by real risk using CISA KEV and FIRST.org EPSS.

Run a free external exposure scan

Are you exposed to CVE-2021-32804?

Run an instant, non-intrusive external scan to check your attack surface for CVE-2021-32804.

Start free scan

No credit card. Agentless.