Summary
Togoder Security scanned the npm package tar-fs@2.1.4 on Oct 4, 2026. An AI review of 1 source file produced 1 medium, 3 low severity findings. No malicious behavior, install-time payloads, credential theft or exfiltration were identified.
Findings 4
Filesystem chmod/chown on extraction
NPS-FA7F13B90D92
The extract function can chmod/chown extracted files based on tar header uid/gid/mode. When run as root with untrusted archives, this could set unexpected permissions. This is expected behavior for tar extraction but should be noted.
Path traversal protection
NPS-4CFA0830E729
The code includes inCwd() and validate() functions to prevent extraction outside the target directory, mitigating zip-slip style attacks.
Symlink/hardlink validation
NPS-766AB3204591
Symlink and hardlink extraction paths are validated against the cwd, preventing link-based escapes.
Privilege escalation guard
NPS-75144F266FA6
chown operations only run when process.getuid() === 0 and opts.chown !== false, limiting unintended ownership changes.
Files reviewed
| File | Verdict | What the reviewer saw |
|---|---|---|
| index.js | safe | The code is a legitimate tar packing/extraction library (node-tar) with standard path traversal protections; no malicious patterns such as exfiltration, credential harvesting, eval, or process spawning were detected. |
Frequently asked questions
Is tar-fs safe to use?
Our AI source review of tar-fs@2.1.4 found no malicious code: no install-time payloads, credential theft, exfiltration, obfuscated loaders or backdoors.
Does tar-fs contain malware?
No malware was identified in tar-fs@2.1.4 when Togoder Security scanned it on Oct 4, 2026. A new version can still introduce malicious code, so scan the exact versions in your lockfile.
How was tar-fs checked?
Togoder Security downloaded the published npm package and had an AI model read its 1 source files, looking for install scripts, credential access, network exfiltration, obfuscation, backdoors and crypto-wallet theft. The results are cached by file hash and shown here.
How do I scan tar-fs together with the rest of my dependencies?
Upload your lockfile at https://security.togoder.click/scan or call the API documented at https://security.togoder.click/api-docs. Files that have already been scanned, like the ones in tar-fs@2.1.4, cost nothing.