CVE-2021-32803

CVE Enrichment

CVSS: 8.1 HIGH
EPSS: 7.80%
EPSS Percentile: 94.54%
CISA KEV: Not listed

Description

The npm package "tar" (aka node-tar) before versions 6.1.2, 5.0.7, 4.4.15, and 3.2.3 has an arbitrary File Creation/Overwrite vulnerability via insufficient symlink protection. `node-tar` aims to guarantee that any file whose location would be modified by a symbolic link is not extracted. This is, in part, achieved by ensuring that extracted directories are not symlinks. Additionally, in order to prevent unnecessary `stat` calls to determine whether a given path is a directory, paths are cached when directories are created. This logic was insufficient when extracting tar files that contained both a directory and a symlink with the same name as the directory. This order of operations resulted in the directory being created and added to the `node-tar` directory cache. When a directory is present in the directory cache, subsequent calls to mkdir for that directory are skipped. However, this is also where `node-tar` checks for symlinks occur. By first creating a directory, and then replacing that directory with a symlink, it was thus possible to bypass `node-tar` symlink checks on directories, essentially allowing an untrusted tar file to symlink into an arbitrary location and subsequently extracting arbitrary files into that location, thus allowing arbitrary file creation and overwrite. This issue was addressed in releases 3.2.3, 4.4.15, 5.0.7 and 6.1.2.

Technical Details

CVSS Version: 3.1
CNA / NVD Source: security-advisories@github.com
Published: 04-Aug-2021 02:15
Last Modified: 17-Jun-2026 10:53
EPSS Date: 2026-10-12
CWE: CWE-22, CWE-59

CVSS Vector


            CVSS:3.1                            AV:N /
                            AC:L /
                            PR:N /
                            UI:R /
                            S:U /
                            C:N /
                            I:H /
                            A:H

Affected Products / Versions

tar_project / tar
Version / affected range: * · before (exclusive) 3.2.3
cpe:2.3:a:tar_project:tar:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
tar_project / tar
Version / affected range: * · from (inclusive) 4.0.0 · before (exclusive) 4.4.15
cpe:2.3:a:tar_project:tar:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
tar_project / tar
Version / affected range: * · from (inclusive) 5.0.0 · before (exclusive) 5.0.7
cpe:2.3:a:tar_project:tar:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
tar_project / tar
Version / affected range: * · from (inclusive) 6.0.0 · before (exclusive) 6.1.2
cpe:2.3:a:tar_project:tar:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
oracle / graalvm
Version / affected range: 20.3.3
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:graalvm:20.3.3:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*
oracle / graalvm
Version / affected range: 21.2.0
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:graalvm:21.2.0:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*
siemens / sinec_infrastructure_network_services
Version / affected range: * · before (exclusive) 1.0.1.1
cpe:2.3:a:siemens:sinec_infrastructure_network_services:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References

Last enrichment sync: 18-Oct-2026 13:22
Sources: NVD · FIRST EPSS · CISA KEV
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Reported Context (1)

Symlinks have been exploited for decades – in race conditions (CVE-2018-15664), in package managers (CVE-2021-32803), in container escapes (CVE-2024-21626). Any time a tool writes to a user-controlled path without Symlink Flaws in Six AI Coding Assistants Could Expose Files and Enable Code Execution

CVE (4)

MITRE ATT&CK (2)

Vendors (6)

Products (6)

Note: Related entities, including threat actors, malware, CVEs, MITRE ATT&CK techniques, vendors, products, tools, countries, and industries, are shown when they appear in the same reporting. Their presence does not necessarily mean they were targeted, compromised, vulnerable, responsible for the activity, or directly involved in the incident.