CVE-2026-19589: CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (Path Traversal) in HashiCorp Packer
Packer up to 1.15.4 is vulnerable to an issue in the third-party plugin installer that may allow unintended file system modification and could lead to code execution. A user who installs a plugin from a malicious or compromised source may be affected. This vulnerability (CVE-2026-19589) is fixed in Packer 1.16.0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-19589 is a CWE-22 path traversal vulnerability affecting HashiCorp Packer's third-party plugin installer in versions 1.7.0 through 1.15.4. It allows an attacker who convinces a user to install a malicious or compromised plugin to cause unintended file system modifications, which may lead to code execution. The issue is fixed in Packer 1.16.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker controlling a plugin source can exploit this vulnerability to modify files outside the intended directory, potentially executing arbitrary code on the system where Packer runs. This can compromise system integrity and security. The CVSS score of 7.1 (high) reflects the significant risk posed by this vulnerability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade Packer to version 1.16.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. Until then, avoid installing plugins from untrusted or unverified sources to reduce risk.
CVE-2026-19589: CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory (Path Traversal) in HashiCorp Packer
Description
Packer up to 1.15.4 is vulnerable to an issue in the third-party plugin installer that may allow unintended file system modification and could lead to code execution. A user who installs a plugin from a malicious or compromised source may be affected. This vulnerability (CVE-2026-19589) is fixed in Packer 1.16.0.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.1high
Affected software
HashiCorp
Packer
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Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-19589 is a CWE-22 path traversal vulnerability affecting HashiCorp Packer's third-party plugin installer in versions 1.7.0 through 1.15.4. It allows an attacker who convinces a user to install a malicious or compromised plugin to cause unintended file system modifications, which may lead to code execution. The issue is fixed in Packer 1.16.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker controlling a plugin source can exploit this vulnerability to modify files outside the intended directory, potentially executing arbitrary code on the system where Packer runs. This can compromise system integrity and security. The CVSS score of 7.1 (high) reflects the significant risk posed by this vulnerability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade Packer to version 1.16.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. Until then, avoid installing plugins from untrusted or unverified sources to reduce risk.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- HashiCorp
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-12T03:40:41.141Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a83721bbf8831d539891ceb
Added to database: 08/17/2026, 20:42:03 UTC
Last enriched: 08/17/2026, 20:56:06 UTC
Last updated: 10/02/2026, 02:46:03 UTC
Views: 62
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