GHSA-4jqc-jvh2-pxg9
Path traversal for local publishers in TechDocs backend
Blast Radius
@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node📦@backstage/techdocs-commonReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects npm packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Impact
A malicious actor with the ability to register entities in the Software Catalog is able to write files to arbitrary paths on the techdocs backend host instance when techdocs.publisher.type is set to local.
This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that the Software Catalog must be configured with non-standard field format validators and/or non-standard entity policies.
Patches
Those affected are advised to upgrade to @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node version 1.1.2 or higher.
Workarounds
If patching or upgrading is not possible, it would be sufficient to update any custom Catalog field format validators and/or custom entity policies to disallow entity names, kinds, and namespaces containing ..
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the Backstage repository
- Visit our chat, linked to in the Backstage README
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node | all versions | 1.1.2 |
| 📦npm | @backstage/techdocs-common | all versions | 0.11.16 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node to 1.1.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4jqc-jvh2-pxg9 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-4jqc-jvh2-pxg9 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-4jqc-jvh2-pxg9. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-4jqc-jvh2-pxg9 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-4jqc-jvh2-pxg9 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.