# CVE-2024-21891: Path traversal in Node

> Attackers can bypass filesystem permission models via path traversal by overwriting internal path normalization functions in Node.js.

- **Severity:** High 7.9 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 30 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-35046, BELL-CVE-2024-21891, BIT-node-2024-21891, BIT-node-min-2024-21891, GHSA-4rwx-mrf5-wx33

## What is CVE-2024-21891?

CVE-2024-21891 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Nodejs Node.js, published on 20 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Node.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.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-21891?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including node and node-min. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `node` | Bitnami | From 20.0.0 | 20.11.1, 21.6.2 |
| `node-min` | Bitnami | From 20.0.0 | 20.11.1, 21.6.2 |

Products: Nodejs Node.js.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-21891?

Upgrade node to a fixed version for your release line: 20.11.1 or 21.6.2.

## Is CVE-2024-21891 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21891 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Nodejs Node.js

- [CVE-2023-32002](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32002/): Security feature bypass in Node (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-6303](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6303/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-15896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-15896/): Security feature bypass in Node.js (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2018-7160](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-7160/): Server-side request forgery in Node.js (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-12120](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-12120/): Misconfiguration in Node.js (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-21891 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-21891 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Nodejs Node.js, published on 20 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21891 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- node (Bitnami): affected from 20.0.0; fixed in 20.11.1, 21.6.2
- node-min (Bitnami): affected from 20.0.0; fixed in 20.11.1, 21.6.2

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21891/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21891/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-21891
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21891
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21891

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21891/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.