Blast Radius
Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.
servenpmDescription
Affected versions of serve do not properly handle %2e (.) and %2f (/) characters, and allow the, characters to be used in paths. This can be used to traverse the directory tree and list content of any directory the user running the process has access to.
Mitigating factors: This vulnerability only allows listing of directory contents and does not allow reading of arbitrary files.
Recommendation
Update to version 6.4.9 later.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | serve | all versions | 6.4.9 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for serve. 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 serve to 6.4.9 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-q2qh-cgc2-qhr3 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-q2qh-cgc2-qhr3 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-q2qh-cgc2-qhr3. 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-q2qh-cgc2-qhr3 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-q2qh-cgc2-qhr3 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.