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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2021-39134

🗓️ 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 4 Views

Linux/Unix hosts have unpatched CVE-2021-39134 affecting npmcli/arborist on case-insensitive file systems.

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Refs
Code
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(224038);
  script_version("1.4");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/04/28");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2021-39134");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2021-39134");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - `@npmcli/arborist`, the library that calculates dependency trees and manages the `node_modules` folder
    hierarchy for the npm command line interface, aims to guarantee that package dependency contracts will be
    met, and the extraction of package contents will always be performed into the expected folder. This is, in
    part, accomplished by resolving dependency specifiers defined in `package.json` manifests for dependencies
    with a specific name, and nesting folders to resolve conflicting dependencies. When multiple dependencies
    differ only in the case of their name, Arborist's internal data structure saw them as separate items that
    could coexist within the same level in the `node_modules` hierarchy. However, on case-insensitive file
    systems (such as macOS and Windows), this is not the case. Combined with a symlink dependency such as
    `file:/some/path`, this allowed an attacker to create a situation in which arbitrary contents could be
    written to any location on the filesystem. For example, a package `pwn-a` could define a dependency in
    their `package.json` file such as `foo: file:/some/path`. Another package, `pwn-b` could define a
    dependency such as `FOO: file:foo.tgz`. On case-insensitive file systems, if `pwn-a` was installed, and
    then `pwn-b` was installed afterwards, the contents of `foo.tgz` would be written to `/some/path`, and any
    existing contents of `/some/path` would be removed. Anyone using npm v7.20.6 or earlier on a case-
    insensitive filesystem is potentially affected. This is patched in @npmcli/arborist 2.8.2 which is
    included in npm v7.20.7 and above. (CVE-2021-39134)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2021-39134");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2021-39134");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2021-39134");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2021/08/31");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/03/05");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:11.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:npm");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:npm");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025-2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("set_linux_os_id.nasl", "ssh_get_info2.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/OS/identifier", "Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-11", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-14.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-16.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-20.04");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-11": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "11",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "npm"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-14.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "14.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "npm"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-16.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "16.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "npm"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "npm"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-20.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "20.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "npm"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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28 Apr 2026 00:00Current
7.3High risk
Vulners AI Score7.3
CVSS 24.4
CVSS 3.17.8 - 8.2
EPSS0.00718
4