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Vulnerability details: VCID-e7n4-x8sc-3bb6
Vulnerability ID VCID-e7n4-x8sc-3bb6
Aliases CVE-2021-32803
GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
Summary Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') 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.
Status Published
Exploitability 0.5
Weighted Severity 8.0
Risk 4.0
Affected and Fixed Packages Package Details
Weaknesses (6)
CWE-1035 OWASP Top Ten 2017 Category A9 - Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
CWE-937 OWASP Top Ten 2013 Category A9 - Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
CWE-23 Relative Path Traversal
CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
System Score Found at
cvssv3 8.1 https://access.redhat.com/hydra/rest/securitydata/cve/CVE-2021-32803.json
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
epss 0.0016 https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdf
generic_textual HIGH https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdf
cvssv3.1 8.1 https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/yaml/suse-cvss-scores.yaml
cvssv3.1_qr HIGH https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar
generic_textual HIGH https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/46fe35083e2676e31c4e0a81639dce6da7aaa356
generic_textual HIGH https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/46fe35083e2676e31c4e0a81639dce6da7aaa356
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/5987d9a41f6bfbf1ddab1098e1fdcf1a5618f571
generic_textual HIGH https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/5987d9a41f6bfbf1ddab1098e1fdcf1a5618f571
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/85d3a942b4064e4ff171f91696fced7975167349
generic_textual HIGH https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/85d3a942b4064e4ff171f91696fced7975167349
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
generic_textual HIGH https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://github.com/npm/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
generic_textual HIGH https://github.com/npm/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://github.com/npm/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
cvssv3.1_qr HIGH https://github.com/npm/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
generic_textual HIGH https://github.com/npm/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-32803
generic_textual HIGH https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-32803
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1771
generic_textual HIGH https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1771
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://www.npmjs.com/package/tar
generic_textual HIGH https://www.npmjs.com/package/tar
cvssv3.1 8.2 https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
generic_textual HIGH https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
Reference id Reference type URL
https://access.redhat.com/hydra/rest/securitydata/cve/CVE-2021-32803.json
https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2021-32803
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdf
https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2021-32803
https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/yaml/suse-cvss-scores.yaml
https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar
https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/46fe35083e2676e31c4e0a81639dce6da7aaa356
https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/5987d9a41f6bfbf1ddab1098e1fdcf1a5618f571
https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/85d3a942b4064e4ff171f91696fced7975167349
https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
https://github.com/npm/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1771
https://www.npmjs.com/package/tar
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
1990415 https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1990415
992110 https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=992110
CVE-2021-32803 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-32803
GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw https://github.com/npm/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
RHSA-2021:3280 https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2021:3280
RHSA-2021:3281 https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2021:3281
RHSA-2021:3623 https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2021:3623
RHSA-2021:3638 https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2021:3638
RHSA-2021:3639 https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2021:3639
RHSA-2021:3666 https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2021:3666
RHSA-2021:5086 https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2021:5086
USN-USN-5283-1 https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-5283-1/
No exploits are available.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Found at https://access.redhat.com/hydra/rest/securitydata/cve/CVE-2021-32803.json
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdf
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H Found at https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/yaml/suse-cvss-scores.yaml
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/46fe35083e2676e31c4e0a81639dce6da7aaa356
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/5987d9a41f6bfbf1ddab1098e1fdcf1a5618f571
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/85d3a942b4064e4ff171f91696fced7975167349
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://github.com/isaacs/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

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none

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unchanged

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://github.com/npm/node-tar/commit/9dbdeb6df8e9dbd96fa9e84341b9d74734be6c20
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

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none

required

unchanged

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none

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://github.com/npm/node-tar/security/advisories/GHSA-r628-mhmh-qjhw
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

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none

required

unchanged

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high

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none

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low

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-32803
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

high

none

low

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none

required

unchanged

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high

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none

high

low

none

high

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none
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://www.npmjs.com/advisories/1771
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://www.npmjs.com/package/tar
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

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unchanged

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Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N Found at https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html
Attack Vector (AV) Attack Complexity (AC) Privileges Required (PR) User Interaction (UI) Scope (S) Confidentiality Impact (C) Integrity Impact (I) Availability Impact (A)

network

adjacent_network

local

physical

low

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Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)
Percentile 0.36829
EPSS Score 0.0016
Published At April 1, 2026, 12:55 p.m.
Date Actor Action Source VulnerableCode Version
2026-04-01T12:48:38.373428+00:00 GitLab Importer Import https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/advisories-community/-/blob/main/npm/tar/CVE-2021-32803.yml 38.0.0