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Node.js Trust Falls: Dangerous Module Resolution on Windows

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vulnerabilities

Node.js Trust Falls: Dangerous Module Resolution on Windows

A vulnerability in Node.js module resolution on Windows systems allows local privilege escalation by exploiting the runtime's default search behavior, which includes the world-writable C:\node_modules directory. The issue affects applications with optional or missing dependencies, including npm CLI and Discord, and has been known since 2013 but remains unaddressed because Node.js considers this behavior intentional and does not treat it as a security vulnerability.

Why it matters: Windows users running Node.js applications should audit their dependency configurations and consider restricting C:\node_modules permissions, as attackers can plant malicious modules in this location to execute code with elevated privileges.

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Correction recorded as of .

vulnerabilities

Node.js Trust Falls: Dangerous Module Resolution on Windows

A vulnerability in Node.js module resolution on Windows systems allows local privilege escalation by exploiting the runtime's default search behavior, which includes the world-writable C:\node_modules directory. The issue affects applications with optional or missing dependencies, including npm CLI and Discord, and has been known since 2013 but remains unaddressed because Node.js considers this behavior intentional and does not treat it as a security vulnerability.

Why it matters: Windows users running Node.js applications should audit their dependency configurations and consider restricting C:\node_modules permissions, as attackers can plant malicious modules in this location to execute code with elevated privileges.

VendorsMicrosoft
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