vulnerability / NVI-00013909 / Revision 1
pnpm: Virtual store linker path traversal via unvalidated depPath name in lockfileToDepGraph
GitHub lists this reviewed advisory for pnpm, pnpm. Published version ranges and source prerequisites are shown below; this is not an inspection of a visitor’s application.
This report has not inspected your inventory, configuration, deployed build, reachability or evidence. A catalog listing and a severity score do not establish exposure or compromise.
01 / Meaning
Why it matters
Published affected context helps an owner decide what evidence to gather. This report has not examined your application.
7.1 high
GitHub source severity; exploitability and local consequence require separate evidence.
As of · GitHub Advisory Database
02 / Applicability
The affected context
Affected versions, configuration prerequisites and known exclusions are public. Confirm each one against the deployed service.
pnpm
source listed< 10.34.5
## Summary The virtual store linker constructs package installation directories using `path.join(modules, pkgName)` where `pkgName` is extracted from lockfile `packages` keys via `dp.parse(depPath).name` without validation. A crafted `pnpm-lock.yaml` with traversal sequences in depPath keys (e.g., `../../../tmp/pwned@1.0.0`) causes package content to be written to arbitrary filesystem paths during `pnpm install`. This is an incomplete fix of GHSA-fr4h-3cph-29xv — the `safeJoinModulesDir` containment helper was applied to the hoisted linker and `symlinkDependency` but NOT to the virtual store linker's `lockfileToDepGraph.ts:233`. ## Details ### Root Cause `dp.parse()` at `pnpm11/deps/path/src/index.ts:135` extracts the package name as: ```typescript const name = dependencyPath.substring(0, sepIndex) ``` This is a raw substring operation with zero validation that `name` is a valid npm package name. A depPath of `../../../tmp/pwned@1.0.0` yields `name = '../../../tmp/pwned'`. ### Vulnerable Code Path 1. `pnpm-lock.yaml` → `lockfile.packages['../../../../../../../tmp/pwned@1.0.0']` (attacker-controlled lockfile key) 2. `nameVerFromPkgSnapshot(depPath, pkgSnapshot)` at `lockfile
pnpm
source listed>= 11.0.0, < 11.11.0
## Summary The virtual store linker constructs package installation directories using `path.join(modules, pkgName)` where `pkgName` is extracted from lockfile `packages` keys via `dp.parse(depPath).name` without validation. A crafted `pnpm-lock.yaml` with traversal sequences in depPath keys (e.g., `../../../tmp/pwned@1.0.0`) causes package content to be written to arbitrary filesystem paths during `pnpm install`. This is an incomplete fix of GHSA-fr4h-3cph-29xv — the `safeJoinModulesDir` containment helper was applied to the hoisted linker and `symlinkDependency` but NOT to the virtual store linker's `lockfileToDepGraph.ts:233`. ## Details ### Root Cause `dp.parse()` at `pnpm11/deps/path/src/index.ts:135` extracts the package name as: ```typescript const name = dependencyPath.substring(0, sepIndex) ``` This is a raw substring operation with zero validation that `name` is a valid npm package name. A depPath of `../../../tmp/pwned@1.0.0` yields `name = '../../../tmp/pwned'`. ### Vulnerable Code Path 1. `pnpm-lock.yaml` → `lockfile.packages['../../../../../../../tmp/pwned@1.0.0']` (attacker-controlled lockfile key) 2. `nameVerFromPkgSnapshot(depPath, pkgSnapshot)` at `lockfile
03 / Response
What to do next
- investigate
Identify the exact component and deployed version, examine the linked publisher’s conditions, and retain evidence of any mitigation.
Confirm current vendor support, compatibility and deployment evidence. This report has not tested a fix in your system. GitHub Advisory Database
A fixed release is not deployment evidence.
Check current vendor support and compatibility. After making a change, verify the deployed build and relevant runtime conditions. Keep the evidence, owner and time. An updated lockfile alone does not prove what is running.
04 / Limits
What this report cannot establish
- Customer inventory, deployment, reachability and exploitation have not been inspected.
05 / Provenance
Sources you can inspect
Each assertion retains its source. Mirrored records may repeat one underlying publisher; additional links are not independent corroboration.
- GHSA-c59q-g84q-2gj5 ↗
GitHub Advisory Database · vendor advisory
Observed . GitHub Advisory Database; CC-BY-4.0. Each advisory links its original attribution. Null normalizes fields.
Public revision history
Only published revisions appear here. Routine fetches do not create a material-change event.
- Revision 1 ·
First indexed by Null; source disclosure date is shown separately.