GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv: pnpm Pacquet Trust-lockfile Install Can Create Vulnerability
HIGHGHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv is a HIGH (CVSS 7.1) pacquet trust-lockfile install can create vulnerability (CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')) affecting pnpm libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves pacquet trust-lockfile install can create dependency symlinks outside the project. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 12.0.0-alpha.5.
GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 7.1
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L).
How to Fix GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected pnpm dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
npm install pnpm@12.0.0-alpha.5
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls pnpm
How to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls pnpm
Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of pnpm in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 12.0.0-alpha.5), your application is affected.
Note: The npm ls pnpm command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following'), where the product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource. In pnpm, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv Affected pnpm Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
pnpm
|
npm |
≥ 12.0.0-alpha.0
< 12.0.0-alpha.5
|
12.0.0-alpha.5
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv?
Which pnpm versions are affected?
What version fixes GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv?
Is pnpm affected?
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv?
What CWE is associated with GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv?
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Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv",
"modified" : "2026-09-01T18:59:22Z",
"published" : "2026-09-01T18:59:22Z",
"aliases" : [ ],
"summary" : "pnpm: pacquet trust-lockfile install can create dependency symlinks outside the project",
"details" : "## Summary\n\nA crafted lockfile alias could reach several install-time filesystem joins. With `--trust-lockfile` or a frozen lockfile, traversal segments could create links outside the intended project or `node_modules` boundary. This patch validates dependency names and every virtual-store slot before creating directories, links, bins, or hoisted entries.\n\n## Security boundary\n\n- A shared safe-join helper rejects traversal, absolute, platform-specific, and reserved dependency names before filesystem materialization.\n- Direct and transitive dependency links, package links, bin destinations, and public/private hoist destinations use the same containment rule.\n- Global virtual-store slots validate the complete slot path, including version-derived components, before directory creation.\n- Snapshot slots and package names are checked before store initialization and before the current-lockfile fast path, closing the warm-install bypass.\n- Rejections preserve `ERR_PNPM_INVALID_DEPENDENCY_NAME`.\n\n## Exploit replay\n\nBefore the patch, `pacquet install --frozen-lockfile --trust-lockfile` accepted a `../../escaped-link` dependency key and created a symlink outside the project. With this patch, the same lockfile is rejected before materialization and no outside link is created.\n\n## Files changed\n\n- `pacquet/crates/package-manager/src/safe_join_modules_dir.rs` defines the shared containment rule.\n- Install, symlink, bin, hoist, virtual-store, and frozen-lockfile paths call that helper before filesystem materialization.\n- The corresponding `tests.rs` files cover every sink, including warm installs and global virtual-store slots.\n\n## Commands run\n\n```text\n$ cargo test --locked -p pacquet-package-manager --lib\nPASS: 434 tests\n$ cargo clippy --locked -p pacquet-package-manager --all-targets -- --deny warnings\nPASS\n$ cargo fmt --all -- --check\nPASS\n```\n\n## Validation\n\n- Full pacquet package-manager suite: 434 passed.\n- Focused regressions cover direct and transitive aliases, bins, hoists, package names, global virtual-store version traversal, and a poisoned prior-install slot.\n- `cargo clippy -p pacquet-package-manager --all-targets -- -D warnings`: passed.\n- `cargo fmt --all -- --check` and `git diff --check`: passed.\n\n## Compatibility\n\nValid unscoped and scoped dependency aliases continue to work. The reproduced escape was specific to pacquet, so this branch does not change the TypeScript CLI or the lockfile format.\n\n---\nWritten by an agent (Codex, GPT-5).",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "pnpm"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "12.0.0-alpha.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "12.0.0-alpha.5"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/security/advisories/GHSA-2rx9-3g3h-c2jv"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/pull/12872"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/commit/51300fd41c5e4c8f47635108e373cc3d1f324fa7"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22", "CWE-59", "CWE-73" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-09-01T18:59:22Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}