CVE-2024-53866: pnpm — Exploit & Fix

Description

The package manager pnpm prior to version 9.15.0 seems to mishandle overrides and global cache: Overrides from one workspace leak into npm metadata saved in global cache; npm metadata from global cache affects other workspaces; and installs by default don't revalidate the data (including on first lockfile generation). This can make workspace A (even running with `ignore-scripts=true`) posion global cache and execute scripts in workspace B. Users generally expect `ignore-scripts` to be sufficient to prevent immediate code execution on install (e.g. when the tree is just repacked/bundled without executing it). Here, that expectation is broken. Global state integrity is lost via operations that one would expect to be secure, enabling subsequently running arbitrary code execution on installs. Version 9.15.0 fixes the issue. As a work-around, use separate cache and store dirs in each workspace.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

9.8

CRITICAL

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-426 CWE-426

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
pnpm	pnpm	< 9.15.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/commit/11afcddea48f25ed5117a87dc1780a55222b9743 https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/security/advisories/GHSA-vm32-9rqf-rh3r

Exploits

https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/security/advisories/GHSA-vm32-9rqf-rh3r

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-53866? +

The package manager pnpm prior to version 9.15.0 seems to mishandle overrides and global cache: Overrides from one workspace leak into npm metadata saved in global cache; npm metadata from global cache affects other workspaces; and installs by default don't revalidate the data (including on first lockfile generation). This can make workspace A (even running with `ignore-scripts=true`) posion global cache and execute scripts in workspace B. Users generally expect `ignore-scripts` to be sufficient to prevent immediate code execution on install (e.g. when the tree is just repacked/bundled without executing it). Here, that expectation is broken. Global state integrity is lost via operations that one would expect to be secure, enabling subsequently running arbitrary code execution on installs. Version 9.15.0 fixes the issue. As a work-around, use separate cache and store dirs in each workspace. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

How severe is CVE-2024-53866? +

CVE-2024-53866 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 out of 10, rated CRITICAL. This is a critical vulnerability that should be patched immediately.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-53866? +

CVE-2024-53866 affects products from pnpm, specifically: pnpm. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-53866? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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