Vulnerability identifier: #VU77601

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv3.1: 6.8 [CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C]

CVE-ID: CVE-2023-30585

CWE-ID: CWE-426

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Node.js
Server applications / Web servers

Vendor: Node.js Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to the way Node.js (.msi version) installation process handles a missing %USERPROFILE% environment variable. If the variable is not set, the .msi installer will try to include a current working directory into the search path and will libraries in an unsafe manner. A local user can place a malicious file on the victim's system and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

The vulnerability affects Windows installators only.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Node.js: 18.1.0 - 18.16.0, 16.2.0 - 16.20.0, 16.1.0 - 16.19.1, 18.4.0, 18.3.0, 17.9.0 - 17.9.1, 16.15.0 - 16.15.1, 18.2.0, 18.0.0, 17.8.0, 17.7.0 - 17.7.2, 16.14.0 - 16.14.2, 17.6.0, 17.5.0, 17.4.0, 17.3.0 - 17.3.1, 16.13.0 - 16.13.2, 17.2.0, 17.1.0, 17.0.0 - 17.0.1, 16.12.0, 16.11.0 - 16.11.1, 16.10.0, 16.9.0 - 16.9.1, 16.8.0, 16.7.0, 16.6.0 - 16.6.2, 16.5.0, 16.4.0 - 16.4.2, 16.3.0, 16.0.0

---

External links
http://nodejs.org/en/blog/vulnerability/june-2023-security-releases

---

Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.