File monitoring via unchecked fs.watchFile permissions
Published Sep 7, 2024 · Updated Apr 30, 2025
Improper access control in Node.js 20 before 20.3.1 allows attackers to monitor unauthorized files through fs.watchFile. The experimental permission model fails to apply --allow-fs-read path checks when fs.watchFile polls file metadata, exposing change times and other stat data outside the allowlist. The bypass requires the opt-in permission model and a non-* read allowlist; it does not grant direct file-content access.
Summary
What happened
Improper access control in Node.js 20 before 20.3.1 allows attackers to monitor unauthorized files through fs.watchFile. The experimental permission model fails to apply --allow-fs-read path checks when fs.watchFile polls file metadata, exposing change times and other stat data outside the allowlist. The bypass requires the opt-in permission model and a non-* read allowlist; it does not grant direct file-content access.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-30582
- Published
- Sep 7, 2024
- Updated
- Apr 30, 2025
- Vendor
- Node.js
- Product
- Node.js
- Classifications
- CWE-284, T1083
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 7, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0 <10.*
- Affected versionversion=11.0 <11.*
- Affected versionversion=12.0 <12.*
- Affected versionversion=13.0 <13.*
- Affected versionversion=14.0 <14.*
- Affected versionversion=15.0 <15.*
- Affected versionversion=17.0 <17.*
- Affected versionversion=19.0 <19.*
- Affected versionversion=20.0 <20.3.1
- Affected versionversion=4.0 <4.*
- Affected versionversion=5.0 <5.*
- Affected versionversion=6.0 <6.*
- Affected versionversion=7.0 <7.*
- Affected versionversion=8.0 <8.*
- Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.*
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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