Node.jsApplication
CVE-2017-16024
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe sync-exec module is used to simulate child_process.execSync in node versions <0.11.9. Sync-exec uses tmp directories as a buffer before returning values. Other users on the server have read access to the tmp directory, possibly allowing an attacker on the server to obtain confidential information from the buffer/tmp file, while it exists.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe sync-exec npm module (a polyfill for child_process.execSync for Node.js <0.11.9) stores command output in temporary files with permissive access controls, allowing other users on the same server to read sensitive data from these tmp files.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Node.jsApplication
< 0.11.9<= 0.6.2CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if sync-exec is installed as a dependencyRun 'npm list sync-exec' or inspect your package.json dependencies section for sync-execAffected if sync-exec appears in your project's dependencies
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Determine the installed version of sync-execRun 'npm list sync-exec' to see the installed version numberAffected if The version is 0.6.2 or lower (the affected version range is <= 0.6.2)
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Check for actual usage of sync-exec in your codebaseSearch your source code for require('sync-exec') or import statements referencing sync-execAffected if Your code imports or requires the sync-exec module
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Verify the Node.js runtime versionRun 'node --version' to check your Node.js versionAffected if Node.js version is less than 0.11.9 (note: this is a very old version from 2013)
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Inspect temporary file creation patternsIf sync-exec is in use, monitor or examine the /tmp directory for files readable by other users during executionAffected if Temporary files created by sync-exec are accessible to other local users on the system
You are affected if sync-exec version 0.6.2 or lower is installed and actively used in your application, allowing other local users to potentially read sensitive command output from shared temporary files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data0.11.9
Migrate to modern Node.js versions and replace sync-exec with the native child_process.execSync API, as this module is obsolete and only supported Node.js versions from 2013.
Fix this in Node.js
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16024 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-16024 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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