CVE-2026-50021 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in pnpm (npm), affecting versions >= 11.0.0, < 11.4.0. It is fixed in 11.4.0, 10.34.1.
Summary pnpm's tarball extraction worker skips integrity verification when the integrity field is absent from the lockfile resolution. If an attacker can both modify pnpm-lock.yaml to remove the integrity: field and cause the referenced registry URL to serve altered package content, pnpm install --frozen-lockfile can install the altered package without an integrity error. npm's npm ci enforces integrity by default; pnpm's behavior of silently skipping verification is a pnpm-specific fail-open gap. Vulnerability Details The addTarballToStore function in worker/src/start.ts (lines 189-204) checks if (integrity) before verifying the tarball hash. The TarballResolution type declares integrity as optional (integrity?: string). When the lockfile omits the integrity field, the guard evaluates to false, skipping hash verification entirely. The worker then computes a new hash from the unverified content and stores it as legitimate. Proof of Concept Impact Supply chain compromise in environments where an attacker can both alter the lockfile and cause the referenced registry URL to serve altered package content. The --frozen-lockfile flag does not fail closed when the integrity field is missing. Suggested Remediation Require an integrity field for remote tarball resolutions. Change the if (integrity) guard to fail when integrity is absent for non-local packages. When --frozen-lockfile is active, reject lockfile entries that lack integrity for remote packages. Discovered by AutoFyn Full audit report: auditreport.md Exploit script: exploit.sh
CVE-2026-50021 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. 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 (11.4.0, 10.34.1). Upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
npm
pnpm (>= 11.0.0, < 11.4.0)pnpm (< 10.34.1)pnpm → 11.4.0 (npm)pnpm → 10.34.1 (npm)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.
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Already deployed Kodem? See CVE-2026-50021 in your environment →Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:
pnpm to 11.4.0 or laterpnpm to 10.34.1 or laterKodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
CVE-2026-50021 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in pnpm (npm), affecting versions >= 11.0.0, < 11.4.0. It is fixed in 11.4.0, 10.34.1.
CVE-2026-50021 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (Medium). 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.
pnpm (npm) versions >= 11.0.0, < 11.4.0 is affected.
Yes. CVE-2026-50021 is fixed in 11.4.0, 10.34.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Whether CVE-2026-50021 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
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.
pnpm to 11.4.0 or laterpnpm to 10.34.1 or later