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CVE-2019-16776


Versions of the npm CLI prior to 6.13.3 are vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Write. It fails to prevent access to folders outside of the intended node_modules folder through the bin field. A properly constructed entry in the package.json bin field would allow a package publisher to modify and/or gain access to arbitrary files on a user's system when the package is installed. This behavior is still possible through install scripts. This vulnerability bypasses a user using the --ignore-scripts install option.


Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.7, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network but requires specific conditions to be met though user interaction is required requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), for affected systems. Impacting 6 products from npmjs, from opensuse, from oracle and 3 others, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2019, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.


Published

2019-12-13T01:15:10.913

Last Modified

2024-11-21T04:31:10.063

Status

Modified

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 7.7 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:N

  • Access Vector: NETWORK
  • Access Complexity: LOW
  • Authentication: SINGLE
  • Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
  • Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
  • Availability Impact: NONE
Exploitability Score

8.0

Impact Score

4.9

Weaknesses
  • Type: Secondary
    CWE-22
  • Type: Primary
    CWE-22

Affected Vendors & Products
Type Vendor Product Version/Range Vulnerable?
Application npmjs npm < 6.13.3 Yes
Operating System opensuse leap 15.1 Yes
Application oracle graalvm 19.3.0.2 Yes
Operating System fedoraproject fedora 31 Yes
Operating System redhat enterprise_linux 8.0 Yes
Operating System redhat enterprise_linux_eus 8.1 Yes

References

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For npmjs's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.