A vulnerability has been identified in the Node.js (.msi version) installation process, specifically affecting Windows users who install Node.js using the .msi installer. This vulnerability emerges during the repair operation, where the "msiexec.exe" process, running under the NT AUTHORITY\\SYSTEM context, attempts to read the %USERPROFILE% environment variable from the current user\'s registry.

The issue arises when the path referenced by the %USERPROFILE% environment variable does not exist. In such cases, the "msiexec.exe" process attempts to create the specified path in an unsafe manner, potentially leading to the creation of arbitrary folders in arbitrary locations.

It is important to note that this vulnerability is specific to Windows users who install Node.js using the .msi installer. Users who opt for other installation methods are not affected by this particular issue. This affects all active Node.js versions: v16, v18, and, v20.