An incomplete fix for CVE-2024-36137 leaves FileHandle.chmod() and FileHandle.chown() in the promises API without the required permission checks, while their callback-based equivalents (fs.fchmod(), fs.fchown()) were correctly patched.
As a result, code running under --permission with restricted --allow-fs-write can still use promise-based FileHandle methods to modify file permissions and ownership on already-open file descriptors, bypassing the intended write restrictions.
This vulnerability affects 20.x, 22.x, 24.x, and 25.x processes using the Permission Model where --allow-fs-write is intentionally restricted.
Weakness
The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | RedHat | nodejs24-1:24.14.1-2.el10_1 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | RedHat | nodejs:24-8100020260408131901.6d880403 | * |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | RedHat | nodejs:24-9070020260402152654.rhel9 | * |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | RedHat | nodejs24-main-24.14.1-4.hum1 | * |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | RedHat | nodejs25-main-25.9.0-1.hum1 | * |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | RedHat | nodejs20-main-20.20.0-7.1.hum1 | * |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | RedHat | nodejs22-main-22.22.0-1.3.hum1 | * |
| Nodejs | Ubuntu | esm-apps/xenial | * |
| Nodejs | Ubuntu | upstream | * |
Potential Mitigations
- Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) [REF-229] to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries.
- Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework [REF-233] and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature [REF-45].
- For web applications, make sure that the access control mechanism is enforced correctly at the server side on every page. Users should not be able to access any unauthorized functionality or information by simply requesting direct access to that page.
- One way to do this is to ensure that all pages containing sensitive information are not cached, and that all such pages restrict access to requests that are accompanied by an active and authenticated session token associated with a user who has the required permissions to access that page.