# CVE-2019-5438: Harp path traversal via symlinks

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2019-5438-harp-path-traversal-via-symlinks  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2019-06-13. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2019-5438 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2019-06-13

Harp is a Node.js static web server and development tool. A vulnerability allows attackers to read arbitrary files outside the intended project directory by exploiting symlinks in the project folder. This could expose sensitive configuration files, credentials, or other confidential data on the server.

Technologies: [harp (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/harp). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2019-5438 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2019-5438 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2019-5438?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 13 June 2019.

**Which products and versions are affected?** harp (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=0.40.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2019-5438?** Yes. harp (npm): upgrade to 0.40.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2019-5438 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2019-5438?** Check whether you run harp (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- harp (npm): upgrade to 0.40.3 or later

  ```sh
  npm install harp@0.40.3
  ```


## Technical details

Harp contains a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in its file serving mechanism. If a symlink exists in the project's base directory that points to a file outside the project directory, the server will follow the symlink and serve the target file without restriction. An unauthenticated network attacker can exploit this by accessing the symlink path, allowing arbitrary file read access. No patch is currently available; all versions through 0.40.2 are vulnerable.

## Affected products

- Harp harp all versions before 0.40.3

## Identifiers

- CVE-2019-5438
- GHSA-6fmm-47qc-p4m4

## Timeline

- 2019-06-13: disclosed

## References

- [https://hackerone.com/reports/530289](https://hackerone.com/reports/530289)

## Related threats

- [harp cross-site scripting in HTML rendering](https://junglewise.ai/threats/harp-cross-site-scripting-in-html-rendering-8724b1a6)
- [harp unauthorized file access via URL encoding bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2019-5437-harp-unauthorized-file-access-via-url-encoding-bypass)