Node.jsApplication
CVE-2024-21891
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 · uneditedNode.js depends on multiple built-in utility functions to normalize paths provided to node:fs functions, which can be overwitten with user-defined implementations leading to filesystem permission model bypass through path traversal attack. This vulnerability 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 · moderate confidenceNode.js contains vulnerable path normalization functions that can be overwritten by user-defined implementations. When the experimental permission model is enabled in Node.js 20 or 21, this allows attackers to bypass filesystem access controls via path traversal, potentially reading or writing files outside permitted directories.
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
>= 20.0.0, < 20.11.1>= 21.0.0, < 21.6.2CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 installed Node.js versionRun 'node --version' or 'node -p process.version' to get the exact versionAffected if Version is >= 20.0.0 and < 20.11.1, or >= 21.0.0 and < 21.6.2
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Verify experimental permission model is not enabledCheck Node.js startup flags and runtime configuration for --experimental-permission flag or process.permission.enabled() returns trueAffected if The experimental permission model is actively enabled in your Node.js runtime
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Inspect process launch commandsReview startup scripts, systemd units, container entrypoints, or process managers for --experimental-permission flagAffected if Any launch configuration includes --experimental-permission
You are affected if your Node.js version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND the experimental permission model is enabled, as the path traversal bypass requires both conditions to be exploitable.
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.
dbcve · scoped20.11.121.6.2
Upgrade Node.js to a patched version once available. Until then, avoid using the experimental permission model in production or ensure untrusted code cannot define custom path utilities.
Node.js 20.11.1+ or Node.js 21.6.2+
- Check current Node.js version by running `node --version`
- If running Node.js 20.x (>= 20.0.0 and < 20.11.1) or Node.js 21.x (>= 21.0.0 and < 21.6.2), upgrade to a fixed release
- For Node.js 20.x users: upgrade to Node.js 20.11.1 or later
- For Node.js 21.x users: upgrade to Node.js 21.6.2 or later
- Verify the upgrade was successful by running `node --version`
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Node.js
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-21891 — 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-2024-21891 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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