CVE-2021-32803
HIGHEPSS 94th pctlDescription
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.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Exploit Intelligence
High risk: more likely to be exploited than 94% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-22 (Path Traversal) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-23897 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2023-32315 | High | 8.6 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2022-29464 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2021-26086 | Medium | 5.3 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2021-22005 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2020-5902 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2021-32803?
Published advisories record a fix for 2 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2021-32803 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2021-32803 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 7.8% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 94% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2021-32803?
CVE-2021-32803 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.2, rated important. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2021-32803 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for node-tar (Debian), node-tar (Ubuntu). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
Embed a live status badge for CVE-2021-32803
Markdown
[](https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2021-32803)HTML
<a href="https://tridentstack.com/cve/CVE-2021-32803"><img src="https://tridentstack.com/cve/badge/CVE-2021-32803.svg" alt="CVE-2021-32803"></a>Find and fix vulnerabilities across your fleet
TridentStack Control continuously scans your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet for known vulnerabilities, prioritizes them by severity and active exploitation, and patches them automatically.
This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2024-11-21.