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Fencer Vulns
low 3.1

CVE-2026-15921 json

nvm path traversal via a malicious mirror's LTS codename writes outside the alias directory

published 2026-07-15 3 mo ago modified 2026-10-24 15 d ago also EUVD-2026-44818

cvss
3.1
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.3%
EPSS 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 18%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.32.1 through 0.40.5, `nvm ls-remote` (and other commands that refresh remote LTS aliases, such as `nvm install --lts`) parse the node.js mirror's `index.tab` and use each release's LTS codename field as an alias filename without validating it. A malicious, compromised, or man-in-the-middled mirror can return an LTS codename containing path-traversal sequences such as `../../../.bashrc`, causing nvm to write the associated version string to a path outside `$NVM_DIR/alias`. With the default layout (`$NVM_DIR` is `~/.nvm`), this can create or overwrite files in the user's home directory, including shell startup files, which can lead to code execution in a later shell session. Exploitation requires the victim to use a hostile mirror -- via a compromised mirror or CDN, a network man-in-the-middle, or a maliciously configured `NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR`/`NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR` -- and to run an affected command. Version 0.40.6 validates remote LTS codenames as safe alias filenames and rejects `..` path components when writing alias files.

Patch / fix

  • nvm-sh nvm 0.40.6

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
Proof of concept is public
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial
Assessed
3 mo ago

Exploit prediction

0.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 18% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • github.com https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/security/advisories/GHSA-4ghp-wxpw-rhpg referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 4.0 2.1 CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA 3.1 3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
CNA 4.0 2.1 CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

Affected products

  • nvm-sh nvm

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
  • CWE-73 External Control of File Name or Path

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.