CVE-2026-44641

Microsoft APM CLI's plugin.json component paths escape plugin root and copy arbitrary host files during install

This is a path traversal / arbitrary local file copy issue in the package install flow.

Who is impacted:

• any user who runs apm install against a malicious or compromised plugin dependency
• both direct and transitive dependency consumers

What an attacker gains:

• ability to copy arbitrary readable host files into .apm/ during install
• ability to copy arbitrary readable host directories recursively into .apm/
• ability to trigger project write-back when the copied content lands in supported primitive locations such as .apm/prompts/

Practical impact:

• local notes, markdown, source material, or configuration files can be staged into repository-controlled paths
• copied prompt files are automatically written into .github/prompts/, increasing the chance that sensitive or attacker-selected content is committed, synced, or consumed by other tooling
• the issue breaks the expected trust boundary that a dependency install should copy only content belonging to the dependency itself

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.

CVE-2026-44641 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.8.12); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2026-44641? CVE-2026-44641 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in apm-cli (pip), affecting versions <= 0.8.11. It is fixed in 0.8.12. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-44641? CVE-2026-44641 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of apm-cli are affected by CVE-2026-44641? apm-cli (pip) versions <= 0.8.11 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44641? Yes. CVE-2026-44641 is fixed in 0.8.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-44641 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-44641 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-44641 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-44641? Upgrade apm-cli to 0.8.12 or later.

Other vulnerabilities in apm-cli