CVE-2024-21896
CWE-27Published: February 20, 2024· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
The permission model protects itself against path traversal attacks by calling path.resolve() on any paths given by the user. If the path is to be treated as a Buffer, the implementation uses Buffer.from() to obtain a Buffer from the result of path.resolve(). By monkey-patching Buffer internals, namely, Buffer.prototype.utf8Write, the application can modify the result of path.resolve(), which leads to a path traversal vulnerability.
This vulnerability affects all users using the experimental permission model in Node.js 20 and Node.js 21.
Please note that at the time this CVE was issued, the permission model is an experimental feature of Node.js.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2024-21896 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (6)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-27)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2024-21896 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts