Summary
pnpm: Hoisted install imports lockfile alias outside node_modules
The hoisted dependency alias issue tracked as GHSA-fr4h-3cph-29xv / CAND-PNPM-059 has been addressed in both pnpm and pacquet.
A crafted lockfile alias could be joined directly under a hoisted node_modules directory. Traversal aliases could escape that directory, while reserved aliases such as .bin or .pnpm could overwrite pnpm-owned layout. This patch validates package-name semantics and path containment before graph insertion or filesystem work.
Security boundary
- The TypeScript hoisted graph uses the shared safe join helper at the actual
dep.namesink. - The helper rejects traversal, absolute, platform-specific, and reserved package names.
- Pacquet validates the hoister's
dep.0.namebefore adding the graph node or recursing. - Both implementations return
ERR_PNPM_INVALID_DEPENDENCY_NAME. - Pacquet uses the same dependency-name containment rule at its hoisted graph sink as it uses for direct dependency aliases.
Exploit replay
Before the patch, a traversal alias in a hoisted lockfile imported package files outside the intended install root. With this patch, both pnpm and pacquet reject the alias before graph insertion or filesystem work, and the escaped file is not created.
Files changed
fs/symlink-dependency/src/safeJoinModulesDir.tsprovides the TypeScript containment helper.installing/deps-restorer/src/lockfileToHoistedDepGraph.tsvalidates the parsed dependency name at the hoisted graph sink.pacquet/crates/package-manager/src/{hoisted_dep_graph.rs,safe_join_modules_dir.rs}mirrors that boundary in Rust.- TypeScript and Rust tests cover traversal, reserved aliases, and valid scoped names.
Commands run
$ pnpm --filter @pnpm/fs.symlink-dependency test
PASS: 24 tests
$ pnpm --filter @pnpm/installing.deps-restorer test test/index.ts
PASS: exploit regression and positive install control
$ cargo test --locked -p pacquet-package-manager --lib
PASS: 426 tests
$ cargo fmt --all -- --check
PASS
Validation
- TypeScript symlink helper: 24 passed.
- TypeScript exploit regression: 1 passed.
- TypeScript positive hoisted-install control: 1 passed.
- Targeted strict TypeScript compiles: passed.
- Targeted ESLint: zero errors.
- Pacquet helper tests: 3 passed.
- Full pacquet package-manager library suite: 426 passed.
cargo fmt, parsed two-document lockfile validation, andgit diff --check: passed.
Compatibility
Valid unscoped and scoped package aliases continue to work. The changeset covers @pnpm/fs.symlink-dependency, @pnpm/installing.deps-restorer, and pnpm; pacquet is updated in the same commit for CLI parity.
Written by an agent (Codex, GPT-5).
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.
GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, 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 (10.34.4, 11.7.0); 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.
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Ready-for-review private PR: https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm-ghsa-fr4h-3cph-29xv/pull/1
GitHub reports the branch as mergeable and has requested review from zkochan. GitHub intentionally does not run status checks on temporary private-fork PRs; the commands and outcomes above are the recorded local validation: https://docs.github.com/code-security/security-advisories/collaborating-in-a-temporary-private-fork-to-resolve-a-security-vulnerability
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV? GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in pnpm (npm), affecting versions < 10.34.4. It is fixed in 10.34.4, 11.7.0. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- How severe is GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV? GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV 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.
- Which versions of pnpm are affected by GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV? pnpm (npm) versions < 10.34.4 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV? Yes. GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV is fixed in 10.34.4, 11.7.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV 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 GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV 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 GHSA-FR4H-3CPH-29XV?
- Upgrade
pnpmto 10.34.4 or later - Upgrade
pnpmto 11.7.0 or later
- Upgrade