GHSA-6x2m-p4xp-wg22 Network-AI: EnvironmentManager.backup() follows symlinked directories and copies files outside the environment root into backups

• npm network-ai: < 5.12.2 → fixed in 5.12.2

Summary `EnvironmentManager.backup()` recursively collects files using `_collectBackupFiles()`. `_collectBackupFiles()` uses `statSync(full)`, which follows symlinks. If `data/` contains a symlink to a directory outside the environment root, backup recursion follows the symlink and copies external files into `data//.backups//`. An attacker who can place a symlink under the environment data directory can cause backup operations to disclose files outside the environment root into backup artifacts. Confirmed in Network-AI 5.12.1. Details `backup()` collects file paths and copies them into the backup directory: ```ts const files = this._collectBackupFiles(envDir); for (const rel of files) { const src = join(envDir, rel); const dst = join(backupPath, rel); mkdirSync(join(backupPath, rel.includes('/') ? rel.substring(0, rel.lastIndexOf('/')) : '.'), { recursive: true }); try { copyFileSync(src, dst); } catch { /* skip unreadable */ } } ``` `_collectBackupFiles()` follows symlinked directories because it calls `statSync()`, not `lstatSync()`: ```ts const info = statSync(full); if (info.isDirectory()) { walk(full, rel); } else { results.push(rel); } ``` Default CLI reachability exists through `network-ai env backup create --env `. `backup()` also runs automatically before promotion and restore operations. Affected source evidence: • `lib/env-manager.ts:435-460` — backup copy logic. • `lib/env-manager.ts:596-617` — symlink-following `_collectBackupFiles()`. • `bin/cli.ts:413-420` — default CLI exposes backup creation. • `lib/env-manager.ts:294-297` and `483-484` — backup also runs before promote/restore. PoC This PoC uses only temporary files. It creates a symlink inside `data/dev` pointing to an external directory, then runs `backup('dev')` and observes that the external file is copied into the backup: ```bash TMP=$(mktemp -d) TMPBASE="$TMP" node -r ts-node/register/transpile-only - ` can cause backup creation to copy arbitrary readable files from outside the environment root into `data//.backups//`. This can disclose secrets or local files to any actor/process that can later read or export Network-AI backup artifacts. No RCE chain was confirmed. --- Resolution (maintainer) Fixed in v5.12.2 (commit `a59c13a`). Install: `npm install [email protected]` — published to npm with provenance. `_collectBackupFiles()` now uses `lstatSync` instead of `statSync` and skips any entry where `isSymbolicLink()` is true. Symlinks are never traversed, so `backup()` can no longer follow a link out of the environment root and copy external files into a backup artifact. All 3,269 tests pass against the patched build. Thanks to @sondt99 for the responsible disclosure.