Low severity · published Jul 15, 2026
CVE-2026-15921
nvm path traversal via a malicious mirror's LTS codename writes outside the alias directory
3.1
CVSS
0.3%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.32.1 through 0.40.5, `nvm ls-remote` (and other commands that refresh remote LTS aliases, such as `nvm install --lts`) parse the node.js mirror's `index.tab` and use each release's LTS codename field as an alias filename without validating it. A malicious, compromised, or man-in-the-middled mirror can return an LTS codename containing path-traversal sequences such as `../../../.bashrc`, causing nvm to write the associated version string to a path outside `$NVM_DIR/alias`. With the default layout (`$NVM_DIR` is `~/.nvm`), this can create or overwrite files in the user's home directory, including shell startup files, which can lead to code execution in a later shell session. Exploitation requires the victim to use a hostile mirror -- via a compromised mirror or CDN, a network man-in-the-middle, or a maliciously configured `NVM_NODEJS_ORG_MIRROR`/`NVM_IOJS_ORG_MIRROR` -- and to run an affected command. Version 0.40.6 validates remote LTS codenames as safe alias filenames and rejects `..` path components when writing alias files.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.3% · higher than 18% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
NV
nvm · nvm-sh
0.32.1 before 0.40.6 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-15921
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-15921
github.com
https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/commit/9275c5badda1d9d0cdad6f34598a111033eadb42
github.com
https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/security/advisories/GHSA-4ghp-wxpw-rhpg
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5.5
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5.4
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