pkg: Incorrect Default Permissions
CVE-2024-24828 is a high-severity incorrect default permissions vulnerability in pkg from Vercel, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected pkg versions: <= 5.8.1; 5.8.1 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.23% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of pkg you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 6.6 | Medium | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
pkg is tool design to bundle Node.js projects into an executables. Any native code packages built by `pkg` are written to a hardcoded directory. On unix systems, this is `/tmp/pkg/*` which is a shared directory for all users on the same local system. There is no uniqueness to the package names within this directory, they are predictable. An attacker who has access to the same local system has the ability to replace the genuine executables in the shared directory with malicious executables of the same name. A user may then run the malicious executable without realising it has been modified. This package is deprecated. Therefore, there will not be a patch provided for this vulnerability. To check if your executable build by pkg depends on native code and is vulnerable, run the executable and check if `/tmp/pkg/` was created. Users should transition to actively maintained alternatives. We would recommend investigating Node.js 21’s support for single executable applications. Given the decision to deprecate the pkg package, there are no official workarounds or remediations provided by our team. Users should prioritize migrating to other packages that offer similar functionality with enhanced security.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Incorrect Default Permissions
During installation, installed file permissions are set to allow anyone to modify those files.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- The architecture needs to access and modification attributes for files to only those users who actually require those actions.
- Compartmentalize the system to have safe areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
More Incorrect Default Permissions vulnerabilities (CWE-276)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
Recent Incorrect Default Permissions vulnerabilities
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
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