GHSA-8cj5-5rvv-wf4v
tar-fs can extract outside the specified dir with a specific tarball
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Blast Radius
tar-fs📦tar-fs📦tar-fsReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects npm packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
v3.0.8, v2.1.2, v1.16.4 and below
Patches
Has been patched in 3.0.9, 2.1.3, and 1.16.5
Workarounds
You can use the ignore option to ignore non files/directories.
ignore (_, header) {
// pass files & directories, ignore e.g. symlinks
return header.type !== 'file' && header.type !== 'directory'
}
Credit
Thank you Caleb Brown from Google Open Source Security Team for reporting this in detail.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | tar-fs | all versions | 1.16.5 |
| 📦npm | tar-fs | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.1.3 | 2.1.3 |
| 📦npm | tar-fs | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.9 | 3.0.9 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for tar-fs. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update tar-fs to 1.16.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-8cj5-5rvv-wf4v is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-8cj5-5rvv-wf4v is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-8cj5-5rvv-wf4v. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-8cj5-5rvv-wf4v in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-8cj5-5rvv-wf4v across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.