# CVE-2026-44301: hugo — Fixed in 0.161.0 🐹 Go Not in CISA KEV # CVE-2026-44301 — hugo CVE-2026-44301 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in github.com/gohugoio/hugo. A fix is available for github.com/gohugoio/hugo — see the affected versions and patch details below. Hugo: Node tool execution allows file system access outside the project directory Also known as[GHSA-x597-9fr4-5857](/vulnerability/GHSA-x597-9fr4-5857)GO-2026-5740 Published May 12, 2026 Updated Oct 28, 2026 Affected 1 pkg Patched 1 / 1 Exploits None indexed Exploitation data as of Nov 8, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS) ## Exploitation Status ### No confirmed exploitation observed yet - CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks. - 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-2026-44301. ## EPSS Exploitation Probability [via FIRST.org ↗](https://www.first.org/epss/) 0.3%probability of exploitation in next 30 days Lower Risk0.00% Lower risk than most CVEs20th percentile — riskier than 20% of all scored CVEsHighest risk 0.00%0.31%0.62%0.93%0.0%0.3%Jun 26Sep 26Nov 26 Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from [FIRST.org EPSS](https://www.first.org/epss/). ## Real-World Exposure 1 pkg affected 🐹`github.com/gohugoio/hugo` Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems. ## Description ### Impact When building a Hugo site that uses Node-based asset pipelines (PostCSS, Babel, TailwindCSS), Hugo invoked the configured Node tools without restrictions on file system access. As a result, executing hugo against an untrusted site could allow code running through these tools to read or write files outside the project's working directory. Users who do not use PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, or who only build trusted sites, are not affected. ### Patches From `v0.161.0`, Hugo runs Node tools under Node's permission model with strict defaults: No write access and only read access to the site source directories and files. ### Workarounds Block these tools in [security.exec.allow](https://gohugo.io/configuration/security/). ## Affected Packages 1 total 1 fixed Ecosystem Package Vulnerable range Fix 🐹Go `github.com/gohugoio/hugo` ≥ 0.43.0&&< 0.161.0 0.161.0`go get github.com/gohugoio/hugo@v0.161.0` ## Affected Products 1 product · 1 configurations Application `hugo`gohugo ≥ 0.43 && < 0.161.0 range ## Detection & mitigation playbook Open-source dependency 1. ### Detect Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/gohugoio/hugo, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version. 2. ### Fix Update github.com/gohugoio/hugo to 0.161.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-44301 is resolved across your whole dependency graph. 3. ### 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 A flaw was found in Hugo when building sites configured with Node-based asset pipelines such as PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS. Hugo invokes these external tools without enforcing directory confinement or file system access restrictions. By tricking a user or automated build pipeline into compiling an untrusted… Workaround published by Red Hat > Avoid building untrusted Hugo sites, or disable Node-based asset pipelines such as PostCSS, Babel, and TailwindCSS in site configurations. When processing unverified repositories, execute Hugo builds within an isolated, unprivileged container environment. Source: [Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2026-44301](https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2026-44301) (CC BY 4.0) Product Fixed in Advisory Red Hat Hardened Images `hugo-main-0.166.0-0.1.hum1` [RHSA-2026:66266](https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66266) ## Frequently Asked Questions \## Impact When building a Hugo site that uses Node-based asset pipelines (PostCSS, Babel, TailwindCSS), Hugo invoked the configured Node tools without restrictions on file system access. As a result, executing hugo against an untrusted site could allow code running through these tools to read or write files outside the project's working directory. Users who do not use PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, or who only build trusted sites, are not affected. ## Patches From \`v0.161.0\`, Hugo runs Node tools under Node's permission model with strict defaults: No write access and only read access to th O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA ### Is CVE-2026-44301 in your dependencies? 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