CVE-2026-44301: CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') in gohugoio hugo
A path traversal vulnerability exists in Hugo static site generator versions from 0. 43 up to but not including 0. 161. 0. When building sites that use Node-based asset pipelines such as PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, Hugo invokes these tools without restricting their file system access. This can allow code executed by these tools to read or write files outside the intended project directory. Users who do not use these Node-based tools or only build trusted sites are not affected. The vulnerability is fixed in version 0. 161. 0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-44301 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in the Hugo static site generator affecting versions 0.43 through before 0.161.0. The issue arises because when Hugo builds sites using Node-based asset pipelines (PostCSS, Babel, TailwindCSS), it invokes these external tools without limiting their filesystem access. This lack of restriction can lead to unauthorized reading or writing of files outside the project directory if Hugo is run against untrusted site content. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 6.2 (medium severity). It is fixed in Hugo version 0.161.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker able to execute Hugo on an untrusted site that uses Node-based asset pipelines could leverage this vulnerability to read or write files outside the intended project directory. This could lead to unauthorized access or modification of files on the host system. Users who do not use the affected Node tools or only build trusted sites are not impacted. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade Hugo to version 0.161.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. Users who do not use PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, or only build trusted sites, are not affected and may not require immediate action. Patch status is confirmed fixed in version 0.161.0.
CVE-2026-44301: CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') in gohugoio hugo
Description
A path traversal vulnerability exists in Hugo static site generator versions from 0. 43 up to but not including 0. 161. 0. When building sites that use Node-based asset pipelines such as PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, Hugo invokes these tools without restricting their file system access. This can allow code executed by these tools to read or write files outside the intended project directory. Users who do not use these Node-based tools or only build trusted sites are not affected. The vulnerability is fixed in version 0. 161. 0.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-44301 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22) in the Hugo static site generator affecting versions 0.43 through before 0.161.0. The issue arises because when Hugo builds sites using Node-based asset pipelines (PostCSS, Babel, TailwindCSS), it invokes these external tools without limiting their filesystem access. This lack of restriction can lead to unauthorized reading or writing of files outside the project directory if Hugo is run against untrusted site content. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 6.2 (medium severity). It is fixed in Hugo version 0.161.0.
Potential Impact
An attacker able to execute Hugo on an untrusted site that uses Node-based asset pipelines could leverage this vulnerability to read or write files outside the intended project directory. This could lead to unauthorized access or modification of files on the host system. Users who do not use the affected Node tools or only build trusted sites are not impacted. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade Hugo to version 0.161.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. Users who do not use PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, or only build trusted sites, are not affected and may not require immediate action. Patch status is confirmed fixed in version 0.161.0.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-05T17:39:31.113Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a03a0decbff5d86101d5c89
Added to database: 5/12/2026, 9:51:26 PM
Last enriched: 5/12/2026, 10:07:47 PM
Last updated: 5/12/2026, 10:58:20 PM
Views: 3
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