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Node.jsApplication

CVE-2024-21890

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 20.11.1 / 21.6.2 or later.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
The Node.js Permission Model does not clarify in the documentation that wildcards should be only used as the last character of a file path. For example: ``` --allow-fs-read=/home/node/.ssh/*.pub ``` will ignore `pub` and give access to everything after `.ssh/`. This misleading documentation affects all users using the experimental permission model in Node.js 20 and Node.js 21. Please note that at the time this CVE was issued, the permission model is an experimental feature of Node.js.

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 confidence

The Node.js experimental permission model documentation incorrectly states that wildcards can be used anywhere in file path patterns. However, wildcards only function as the last character. For example, `--allow-fs-read=/home/node/.ssh/*.pub` ignores the `.pub` extension and grants read access to ALL files in `.ssh/`, not just `.pub` files, leading to unintended overly permissive file access.

MitigationReview and update all permission model configurations to avoid using wildcards in non-terminal positions; use explicit file paths or move wildcards to the end of paths only. Wait for official Node.js documentation updates.

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
Affected:>= 20.0.0, < 20.11.1>= 21.0.0, < 21.6.2

CVSS 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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Node.js version
    Run `node --version` to get the installed version
    Affected if Version is >= 20.0.0 and < 20.11.1, or >= 21.0.0 and < 21.6.2
  2. Verify experimental permission model is enabled
    Check if Node.js is launched with any `--allow-*` flags such as `--allow-fs-read`, `--allow-fs-write`, `--allow-child-process`, or `--experimental-permission` flag
    Affected if Any experimental permission flags are used at startup
  3. Identify wildcard usage in permission patterns
    Review all permission model flags passed to Node.js (check process arguments, startup scripts, Docker CMD/ENTRYPOINT, systemd service files, or environment variables like NODE_OPTIONS)
    Affected if Any `--allow-fs-read` or `--allow-fs-write` patterns contain wildcards in positions other than the end of the path
  4. Confirm permission model is active in running processes
    For running Node.js processes, examine `/proc/<pid>/cmdline` on Linux or use process inspection tools to see if permission flags are in use
    Affected if Running processes were started with permission model flags containing non-terminal wildcards

You are affected if you run a vulnerable Node.js version AND use the experimental permission model with wildcard patterns that place the wildcard before the final path segment (e.g., `*.pub` instead of `/dir/*`).

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 20.11.1 / 21.6.2 or later
Fixed in 20.11.121.6.2
Interim mitigation

Review and update all permission model configurations to avoid using wildcards in non-terminal positions; use explicit file paths or move wildcards to the end of paths only. Wait for official Node.js documentation updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

Node.js 20.11.1 or 21.6.2 (or later stable releases)

  1. Upgrade Node.js to version 20.11.1 or later if using the 20.x release line
  2. OR upgrade Node.js to version 21.6.2 or later if using the 21.x release line
  3. Alternatively, upgrade to the latest stable LTS or current stable release which includes the fix
  4. After upgrading, verify the permission model works correctly with wildcards placed only at the end of file paths (e.g., use /home/node/.ssh/authorized_keys instead of wildcards, or place wildcards only as the final character)
Caveat Node.js minor version upgrades may include breaking changes; review the Node.js changelog for any impacts to your application

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Node.js Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,690
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-21890 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data