CVE-2024-12905

tar-fs Vulnerable to Link Following and Path Traversal via Extracting a Crafted tar File

// Create a writable stream to extract the tar content
const extractStream = tarfs.extract('/', {
    // We can ignore the file type checks to allow the extraction of the malicious file
    ignore: (name) => false,
});

// Create a tar stream
const tarStream = tarfs.pack().on('error', (err) => {
    throw err;
});

// Append the malicious entry to the tar stream
tarStream.entry({ name: '/flag.txt', mode: 0o644 }, Buffer.from('This is a flag!'));

// Finalize the tar stream
tarStream.finalize();

// Pipe the tar stream into the extract stream
tarStream.pipe(extractStream);

Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.

CVE-2024-12905 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.16.4, 2.1.2, 3.0.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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1. What is CVE-2024-12905? CVE-2024-12905 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in tar-fs (npm), affecting versions < 1.16.4. It is fixed in 1.16.4, 2.1.2, 3.0.7. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-12905? CVE-2024-12905 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of tar-fs are affected by CVE-2024-12905? tar-fs (npm) versions < 1.16.4 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-12905? Yes. CVE-2024-12905 is fixed in 1.16.4, 2.1.2, 3.0.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-12905 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-12905 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2024-12905 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2024-12905?
   • Upgrade tar-fs to 1.16.4 or later
   • Upgrade tar-fs to 2.1.2 or later
   • Upgrade tar-fs to 3.0.7 or later

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