Summary
Hugo's Node tool execution allows file system access outside the project directory
Workarounds
Block these tools in security.exec.allow.
Impact
When building a Hugo site that uses Node-based asset pipelines (PostCSS, Babel, TailwindCSS), Hugo invoked the configured Node tools without restrictions on file system access. As a result, executing hugo against an untrusted site could allow code running through these tools to read or write files outside the project's working directory.
Users who do not use PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, or who only build trusted sites, are not affected.
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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From v0.161.0, Hugo runs Node tools under Node's permission model with strict defaults: No write access and only read access to the site source directories and files.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-44301? CVE-2026-44301 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in github.com/gohugoio/hugo (go), affecting versions >= 0.43.0, < 0.161.0. It is fixed in 0.161.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- Which versions of github.com/gohugoio/hugo are affected by CVE-2026-44301? github.com/gohugoio/hugo (go) versions >= 0.43.0, < 0.161.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44301? Yes. CVE-2026-44301 is fixed in 0.161.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-44301 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44301 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-44301 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-44301? Upgrade
github.com/gohugoio/hugoto 0.161.0 or later.