# CVE-2024-21892: Privilege escalation in Node

> Unprivileged users can inject code that inherits elevated privileges due to incorrect capability handling in Node.js on Linux.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/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:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 30 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-34460, AZL-35052, BELL-CVE-2024-21892, BIT-node-2024-21892, BIT-node-min-2024-21892, CLEANSTART-2026-PN59834, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-21892, GHSA-f27j-4f6g-jp27

## What is CVE-2024-21892?

CVE-2024-21892 is a high-severity vulnerability in Nodejs Node.js, published on 20 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

On Linux, Node.js ignores certain environment variables if those may have been set by an unprivileged user while the process is running with elevated privileges with the only exception of CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE.
Due to a bug in the implementation of this exception, Node.js incorrectly applies this exception even when certain other capabilities have been set.
This allows unprivileged users to inject code that inherits the process's elevated privileges.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-21892?

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


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `node` | Bitnami | All versions | 18.19.1, 20.11.1, 21.6.2 |
| `node-min` | Bitnami | All versions | 18.19.1, 20.11.1, 21.6.2 |

Products: Nodejs Node.js.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-21892?

Upgrade node to a fixed version for your release line: 18.19.1, 20.11.1 or 21.6.2.

## Is CVE-2024-21892 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21892 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-2024-21892 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-21892 is a high-severity vulnerability in Nodejs Node.js, published on 20 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21892 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- node (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 18.19.1, 20.11.1, 21.6.2
- node-min (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 18.19.1, 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-2024-21892/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21892/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-21892
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21892
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21892

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21892/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.