Auth bypass in Nodejs Node

CVE-2026-21716

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.

Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control

EPSS: 0.002 (5.5th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 3.3 (Low). Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-21716?
CVE-2026-21716 is a low-severity vulnerability in Nodejs Node, classified under Missing Authorization. CVSS score: 3.3/10. Published 2026-03-30.
How severe is CVE-2026-21716?
Low severity. CVSS v3 base score is 3.3 out of 10.