CVE-2019-16775

Name: CVE-2019-16775
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2019-12-13T01:15:10.817+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 3.27%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2019-16775 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. Versions of the npm CLI prior to 6.13.3 are vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Write. It is possible for packages to create symlinks to files outside of thenode_modules folder through the bin field upon installation. EPSS estimates a 3.27% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Versions of the npm CLI prior to 6.13.3 are vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Write. It is possible for packages to create symlinks to files outside of thenode_modules folder through the bin field upon installation. A properly constructed entry in the package.json bin field would allow a package publisher to create a symlink pointing to arbitrary files on a user's system when the package is installed. This behavior is still possible through install scripts. This vulnerability bypasses a user using the --ignore-scripts install option.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

3.27%

86.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Redhat	Enterprise Linux	8.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	8.1
Npmjs	Npm	< 6.13.3
Opensuse	Leap	15.1
Oracle	Graalvm	19.3.0.2
Oracle	Graalvm	20.3.3
Oracle	Graalvm	21.2.2
Fedoraproject	Fedora	31

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-01/msg00027.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHEA-2020:0330Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0573Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0579Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0597Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0602Third Party Advisory
https://blog.npmjs.org/post/189618601100/binary-planting-with-the-npm-cliThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/npm/cli/security/advisories/GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cxThird Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Z36UKPO5F3PQ3Q2POMF5LEKXWAH5RUFP/
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-01/msg00027.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHEA-2020:0330Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0573Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0579Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0597Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0602Third Party Advisory
https://blog.npmjs.org/post/189618601100/binary-planting-with-the-npm-cliThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/npm/cli/security/advisories/GHSA-m6cx-g6qm-p2cxThird Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Z36UKPO5F3PQ3Q2POMF5LEKXWAH5RUFP/
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.htmlThird Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 13, 2019
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-16775?

How severe is CVE-2019-16775?

CVE-2019-16775 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 3.27% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2019-16775?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2019-16775?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST