How severe is CVE-2026-24046?

CVE-2026-24046 has a CVSS score of 7.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-24046?

CVE-2026-24046 affects the following packages: @backstage/backend-defaults (npm), @backstage/backend-defaults (npm), @backstage/backend-defaults (npm), @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend (npm), @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend (npm), @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend (npm), @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node (npm), @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node (npm). Ecosystems affected: npm.

How do I fix CVE-2026-24046?

Update @backstage/backend-defaults to 0.12.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-24046 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2026-24046 in my npm dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @backstage/backend-defaults, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2026-24046 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.

Is CVE-2026-24046 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2026-24046 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2026-24046?

CVE-2026-24046 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.5%, placing it in the 45th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-24046?

CVE-2026-24046 is classified as Path Traversal (CWE-22), CWE-59 (CWE-59). These weakness types describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2026-24046 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2026-24046 was published on January 21, 2026 and was last updated on October 28, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

📦

📦 npm

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2026-24046 — @backstage/backend-defaul…

HIGHFix: backstage/backstage@c641c14

CVE-2026-24046 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.1) Path Traversal vulnerability in @backstage/backend-defaults. A fix is available for @backstage/backend-defaults — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Backstage has a Possible Symlink Path Traversal in Scaffolder Actions

Also known asGHSA-rq6q-wr2q-7pgp

Published

Jan 21, 2026

Updated

Oct 28, 2026

Affected

8 pkgs

Patched

8 / 8

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 7, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-24046.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.5%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs45th percentile — riskier than 45% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

8 pkgs affected

How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.

256other npm packages depend on this — each one inherits the vulnerability until it's patched upstream

@backstage/backend-defaultsnpm

411Kdownloads / week

Description

Impact

Multiple Scaffolder actions and archive extraction utilities were vulnerable to symlink-based path traversal attacks. An attacker with access to create and execute Scaffolder templates could exploit symlinks to:

Read arbitrary files via the debug:log action by creating a symlink pointing to sensitive files (e.g., /etc/passwd, configuration files, secrets)
Delete arbitrary files via the fs:delete action by creating symlinks pointing outside the workspace
Write files outside the workspace via archive extraction (tar/zip) containing malicious symlinks

This affects any Backstage deployment where users can create or execute Scaffolder templates.

Patches

This vulnerability is fixed in the following package versions:

@backstage/backend-defaults version 0.12.2, 0.13.2, 0.14.1, 0.15.0
@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend version 2.2.2, 3.0.2, 3.1.1
@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-node version 0.11.2, 0.12.3

Users should upgrade to these versions or later.

Workarounds

Follow the recommendation in the Backstage Threat Model to limit access to creating and updating templates
Restrict who can create and execute Scaffolder templates using the permissions framework
Audit existing templates for symlink usage
Run Backstage in a containerized environment with limited filesystem access

References

Affected Packages

8 total 8 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
📦npm	`@backstage/backend-defaults`	all versions	0.12.2`npm install @backstage/backend-defaults@0.12.2`
📦npm	`@backstage/backend-defaults`	≥ 0.13.0&&< 0.13.2	0.13.2`npm install @backstage/backend-defaults@0.13.2`
📦npm	`@backstage/backend-defaults`	≥ 0.14.0&&< 0.14.1	0.14.1`npm install @backstage/backend-defaults@0.14.1`
📦npm	`@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend`	all versions	2.2.2`npm install @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend@2.2.2`
📦npm	`@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend`	≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.2	3.0.2`npm install @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend@3.0.2`
📦npm	`@backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend`	≥ 3.1.0&&< 3.1.1	3.1.1`npm install @backstage/plugin-scaffolder-backend@3.1.1`

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @backstage/backend-defaults, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update @backstage/backend-defaults to 0.12.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-24046 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

Red HatImportant

To exploit this issue, an attacker needs to have access to create and execute Scaffolder actions, specifically the debug:log, fs:delete actions and archive extractions, limiting the exposure of this flaw. Additionally, file systems operations are constrained by the permissions of the process, limiting the impact to…

Workaround published by Red Hat

To mitigate this issue, consider implementing strict access controls for Backstage Scaffolder templates. Restrict the ability to create and execute Scaffolder templates to trusted users only, utilizing the Backstage permissions framework. Additionally, audit existing templates for any symlink usage and consider running Backstage within a containerized environment with a highly restricted filesystem to limit potential impact.

Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2026-24046 (CC BY 4.0)

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Developer Hub 1.8	`rhdh/rhdh-hub-rhel9:1774545605`	RHSA-2026:6174
Red Hat Developer Hub 1.9	`rhdh/rhdh-hub-rhel9:1775140647`	RHSA-2026:6802

Frequently Asked Questions

### Impact Multiple Scaffolder actions and archive extraction utilities were vulnerable to symlink-based path traversal attacks. An attacker with access to create and execute Scaffolder templates could exploit symlinks to: 1. **Read arbitrary files** via the `debug:log` action by creating a symlink pointing to sensitive files (e.g., `/etc/passwd`, configuration files, secrets) 2. **Delete arbitrary files** via the `fs:delete` action by creating symlinks pointing outside the workspace 3. **Write files outside the workspace** via archive extraction (tar/zip) containing malicious symlinks This