Restricted-file access via unresolved Buffer paths
Published Aug 15, 2023 · Updated May 8, 2025
Path traversal in Node.js 20.0.0 through 20.5.0 allows attackers to read restricted files via Buffer path arguments. The possiblyTransformPath helper resolves string paths before permission checks but returns Buffer paths unresolved, so traversal segments survive validation. The issue is reachable only when the opt-in experimental permission model is enabled and application code passes attacker-controlled Buffer paths to file-system APIs.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in Node.js 20.0.0 through 20.5.0 allows attackers to read restricted files via Buffer path arguments. The possiblyTransformPath helper resolves string paths before permission checks but returns Buffer paths unresolved, so traversal segments survive validation. The issue is reachable only when the opt-in experimental permission model is enabled and application code passes attacker-controlled Buffer paths to file-system APIs.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-32004
- Published
- Aug 15, 2023
- Updated
- May 8, 2025
- Vendor
- Node.js
- Product
- Node.js
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1005
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 15, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 8, 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 <20.5.1
- 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?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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