Summary
Vitest: Path Traversal / Arbitrary File Read via @vitest/mocker Redirect Mock
@vitest/mocker registers a redirect mock's target path without validating it
against the dev server's file-serving allowlist. An attacker who can reach the
dev server's WebSocket can register a redirect mock pointing outside the project
root; when the mocked module is requested, the plugin's load hook returnsreadFile(<attacker path>) as the module source, disclosing local files.
This is exploitable without authentication only through the publicmockerPlugin / standalone interceptorPlugin exports (used by third-party dev
servers), which register the handler on Vite's unauthenticated HMR socket.
Vitest's own browser mode registers mocks over a token-authenticated RPC and
is not remotely reachable by default (see Scope).
Affected code
packages/mocker/src/node/interceptorPlugin.ts.
The load hook is the file-read sink:
if (mock.type === 'redirect') {
return readFile(mock.redirect, 'utf-8')
}
mock.redirect is derived from client input at registration time with no
boundary check:
if (event.type === 'redirect') {
const redirectUrl = new URL(event.redirect)
event.redirect = join(server.config.root, redirectUrl.pathname)
}
registry.register(event)
There is no server.fs.allow / server.fs.deny check and no assertion that the
resolved path stays within the project root.
Registration paths and trust boundaries
- Public
mockerPlugin/interceptorPlugin(unauthenticated). InconfigureServer, the plugin registersserver.ws.on('vitest:interceptor:register', …)
on Vite's HMR WebSocket. That socket performs no token, Origin, or same-origin
check, so any client that can reach it can register a redirect mock. This is
the path the "unauthenticated" impact applies to. - Vitest browser mode (authenticated). Mocks register over the browser RPC
(registerMock), which sits behind a per-run token (isValidApiRequest, a
randomapi.token). The interceptor'sconfigureServersocket is not used for
registration here (in v5 it does not run at all, as the plugin is injected per
environment). The same missing boundary check exists on the authenticated RPC
path, but reaching it requires the token, so it is not a remote-unauthenticated
read.
Path handling
new URL(redirect).pathname combined with join(root, pathname) does not
confine reads to the root:
- Special/hierarchical schemes (
file:,http:) are normalized by WHATWG URL,
so..segments are collapsed and the result stays under the root. Payloads of
the formfile:///../../etc/passwddo not escape. - A non-special (opaque) scheme preserves
..inpathname, sojoin(root, "../../…/etc/passwd")resolves outside the root and reads an
arbitrary file.
Even without escaping the root, the missing server.fs check allows reading any
in-root file the dev server would otherwise refuse to serve (for example an
in-root .env or source that is denied by server.fs.deny).
Scope / preconditions
- This is a development-server issue. The dev server binds to
localhostby
default and is not reachable from the network unless the developer exposes it
(server.host/0.0.0.0, a LAN bind, or a proxy). - A raw (non-browser) client against a reachable server bypasses browser origin
and CORS protections entirely and can both register the mock and read the
response. - A browser-based drive-by against a localhost server is substantially mitigated
by Vite defaults: the default CORS origin allowlist is limited tolocalhost
origins, andserver.allowedHostsblocks DNS-rebinding, so a cross-origin page
cannot read the file contents back.
Affected versions
Present since @vitest/mocker was introduced.
- Affected:
@vitest/mocker>= 2.1.0 (shipped invitestand@vitest/browser>= 2.1.0), through 4.1.x and the 5.0.0 pre-releases. - Fixed: Vitest 4.1.11 and 5.0.0. Older majors (2.1.x, 3.x) are not
maintained and are not planned to receive the fix.
Impact
Disclosure of local files readable by the dev-server process (source, in-root.env/secrets, and, via the opaque-scheme payload, files outside the project
root). No integrity or availability impact.
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-2026-84373 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (4.1.11, 5.0.0-rc.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Validate the resolved redirect target against Vite's file-serving allowlist
(isFileLoadingAllowed) before registering it, at every registration site, and
stop registering the interceptor WebSocket events in Vitest's browser mode
(mocks there flow through the authenticated RPC).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-84373? CVE-2026-84373 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in @vitest/mocker (npm), affecting versions >= 2.1.0, < 4.1.11. It is fixed in 4.1.11, 5.0.0-rc.2. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is CVE-2026-84373? CVE-2026-84373 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-84373?
@vitest/mocker(npm) (versions >= 2.1.0, < 4.1.11)vitest(npm) (versions >= 2.1.0, < 4.1.11)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-84373? Yes. CVE-2026-84373 is fixed in 4.1.11, 5.0.0-rc.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-84373 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-84373 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-2026-84373 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-2026-84373?
- Upgrade
@vitest/mockerto 4.1.11 or later - Upgrade
vitestto 4.1.11 or later - Upgrade
vitestto 5.0.0-rc.2 or later - Upgrade
@vitest/mockerto 5.0.0-rc.2 or later
- Upgrade