Path traversal in Hex via unvalidated dependency app names
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in hexpm hex allows a malicious package publisher to delete a directory outside the project's deps directory and extract package files into it when a developer fetches dependencies. A package release's requirements carry an app label that names the dependency's OTP application. Hex takes this label from the repository's signed registry and uses it as the dependency's application name without validating it (Hex.RemoteConverger.deps/2, Hex.Mix.to_lock/1). Mix derives the dependency's checkout directory as deps/, and Hex.SCM.update/1 runs File.rm_rf!/1 on that directory and unpacks the package into it. hex.pm only checks the label's length, so a publisher can set it to a value such as ../../target. When a project depends on such a release directly or transitively, mix deps.get or mix deps.update deletes the directory the label resolves to and writes the labelled package's files there. This happens before any dependency code is compiled. This issue affects hex: from 0.6.0 before 2.5.2.
CVE-2026-96612
Primary source · Revision 1
Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.
Security context
Source reference: cve:CVE-2026-96612
hex
Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/0/product
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- Not stated in this record
- Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
hex
Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/1/product
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- Not stated in this record
- Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Structured affected-version data
Original package identities and version rules from this source.
[
{
"cpes": [
"cpe:2.3:a:hexpm:hex:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
],
"repo": "https://github.com/hexpm/hex",
"vendor": "hexpm",
"modules": [
"'Elixir.Hex.RemoteConverger'",
"'Elixir.Hex.Mix'",
"'Elixir.Hex.SCM'"
],
"product": "hex",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "0.6.0",
"lessThan": "2.5.2",
"versionType": "semver"
}
],
"packageURL": "pkg:otp/hex?repository_url=https:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fhexpm%2Fhex&vcs_url=repository_url=git%2Bhttps:%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fhexpm%2Fhex.git",
"packageName": "hex",
"programFiles": [
"lib/hex/remote_converger.ex",
"lib/hex/mix.ex",
"lib/hex/scm.ex"
],
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"programRoutines": [
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.RemoteConverger':deps/2"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.RemoteConverger':converge/2"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.Mix':to_lock/1"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.SCM':update/1"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.SCM':checkout/1"
}
]
},
{
"cpes": [
"cpe:2.3:a:hexpm:hex:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"
],
"repo": "https://github.com/hexpm/hex",
"vendor": "hexpm",
"modules": [
"'Elixir.Hex.RemoteConverger'",
"'Elixir.Hex.Mix'",
"'Elixir.Hex.SCM'"
],
"product": "hex",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"changes": [
{
"at": "1b3e2ae8f0dd7273a2c2625b9e50b6c67c8568fb",
"status": "unaffected"
},
{
"at": "72279a8e2004b32b20d8767ff010c117193dd02c",
"status": "unaffected"
}
],
"version": "380f87054e1bc08ee13d2b5311bc01f98dad2fc6",
"lessThan": "*",
"versionType": "git"
}
],
"packageURL": "pkg:github/hexpm/hex",
"packageName": "hexpm/hex",
"programFiles": [
"lib/hex/remote_converger.ex",
"lib/hex/mix.ex",
"lib/hex/scm.ex"
],
"collectionURL": "https://github.com",
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"programRoutines": [
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.RemoteConverger':deps/2"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.RemoteConverger':converge/2"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.Mix':to_lock/1"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.SCM':update/1"
},
{
"name": "'Elixir.Hex.SCM':checkout/1"
}
]
}
]- Related CVEs
- CVE-2026-96612
Source reference:
/cveMetadata/cveId
Publisher severity
high
Source reference: /containers/cna/metrics
- Event
- #32880 · Revision 1
- Added to Heist Feed
- Publisher date