ubuntu-cve-2019-16777
Vulnerability from osv_ubuntu
Published
2019-12-13 01:15
Modified
2026-05-20 14:51
Summary
Details

Versions of the npm CLI prior to 6.13.4 are vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Overwrite. It fails to prevent existing globally-installed binaries to be overwritten by other package installations. For example, if a package was installed globally and created a serve binary, any subsequent installs of packages that also create a serve binary would overwrite the previous serve binary. This behavior is still allowed in local installations and also through install scripts. This vulnerability bypasses a user using the --ignore-scripts install option.

Severity
7.7 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
6.5 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
N/A (UNKNOWN)
medium
References
To clipboard 

{
  "affected": [
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "1.3.10~dfsg-1"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:14.04:LTS",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@1.3.10~dfsg-1?arch=source\u0026distro=trusty"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "1.2.18~dfsg-3",
        "1.3.10~dfsg-1"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "3.5.2-0ubuntu4.1.16.04.1~esm1"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@3.5.2-0ubuntu4.1.16.04.1~esm1?arch=source\u0026distro=esm-apps/xenial"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "1.4.21+ds-2",
        "3.5.2-0ubuntu4",
        "3.5.2-0ubuntu4.1.16.04.1~esm1"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "3.5.2-0ubuntu4.1.18.04.1~esm1"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@3.5.2-0ubuntu4.1.18.04.1~esm1?arch=source\u0026distro=esm-apps/bionic"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "3.5.2-0ubuntu4",
        "3.5.2-0ubuntu4.1.18.04.1~esm1"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "6.14.4+ds-1ubuntu2"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:20.04:LTS",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@6.14.4+ds-1ubuntu2?arch=source\u0026distro=focal"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "5.8.0+ds6-4",
        "6.14.4+ds-1ubuntu2"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "8.5.1~ds-1"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:22.04:LTS",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@8.5.1~ds-1?arch=source\u0026distro=jammy"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "7.5.2+ds-2",
        "7.24.2+ds-1",
        "7.24.2+ds-2",
        "8.3.0~ds-1",
        "8.3.0~ds-2",
        "8.3.2~ds-1",
        "8.5.0~ds-1",
        "8.5.1~ds-1"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "9.2.0~ds1-2"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:24.04:LTS",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@9.2.0~ds1-2?arch=source\u0026distro=noble"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "9.2.0~ds1-1",
        "9.2.0~ds1-2"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "9.2.0~ds1-3"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:25.10",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@9.2.0~ds1-3?arch=source\u0026distro=questing"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "9.2.0~ds1-3"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ecosystem_specific": {
        "binaries": [
          {
            "binary_name": "npm",
            "binary_version": "9.2.0~ds3-1"
          }
        ]
      },
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Ubuntu:26.04:LTS",
        "name": "npm",
        "purl": "pkg:deb/ubuntu/npm@9.2.0~ds3-1?arch=source\u0026distro=resolute"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ],
      "versions": [
        "9.2.0~ds1-3",
        "9.2.0~ds2-2",
        "9.2.0~ds3-1"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [],
  "details": "Versions of the npm CLI prior to 6.13.4 are vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Overwrite. It fails to prevent existing globally-installed binaries to be overwritten by other package installations. For example, if a package was installed globally and created a serve binary, any subsequent installs of packages that also create a serve binary would overwrite the previous serve binary. This behavior is still allowed in local installations and also through install scripts. This vulnerability bypasses a user using the --ignore-scripts install option.",
  "id": "UBUNTU-CVE-2019-16777",
  "modified": "2026-05-20T14:51:35Z",
  "published": "2019-12-13T01:15:00Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "REPORT",
      "url": "https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2019-16777"
    },
    {
      "type": "REPORT",
      "url": "https://github.com/npm/cli/security/advisories/GHSA-4328-8hgf-7wjr"
    },
    {
      "type": "REPORT",
      "url": "https://blog.npmjs.org/post/189618601100/binary-planting-with-the-npm-cli"
    },
    {
      "type": "REPORT",
      "url": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-16777"
    }
  ],
  "related": [],
  "schema_version": "1.7.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    },
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    },
    {
      "score": "medium",
      "type": "Ubuntu"
    }
  ],
  "upstream": [
    "CVE-2019-16777"
  ]
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.





Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.


Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.