CVE-2018-7408

What it is

An issue was discovered in an npm 5.7.0 2018-02-21 pre-release (marked as "next: 5.7.0" and therefore automatically installed by an "npm upgrade -g npm" command, and also announced in the vendor's blog without mention of pre-release status). It might allow local users to bypass intended filesystem access restrictions because ownerships of /etc and /usr directories are being changed unexpectedly, related to a "correctMkdir" issue.

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.3% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2018-02-22 18:29 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-06-17 02:03 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.3% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 7.8 HIGH (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2018-02-22 18:29 UTC

Last modified

2026-06-17 02:03 UTC

Exploit probability

0.3% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-732 · Incorrect permission assignment

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Npmjs Npm 5.7.0

Attack profile CVSS 3.0 · 7.8

Attack vector

Local

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2018-7408.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2018-7408. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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