hexpm hex · Path Traversal
Affects erlang-hexSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 22:28 UTC
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 12 Oct 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.10erlang-hexpkg:deb/ubuntu/erlang-hex?arch=source&distro=stonkingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSerlang-hexpkg:deb/ubuntu/erlang-hex?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSerlang-hexpkg:deb/ubuntu/erlang-hex?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
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/<app>, 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.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-96612 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96612 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/hexpm/hex/security/advisories/GHSA-2vjj-c5hr-6xc3 (opens in a new tab)
- cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-96612.html (opens in a new tab)
- osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-96612 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/1b3e2ae8f0dd7273a2c2625b9e50b6c67c8568fb (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/380f87054e1bc08ee13d2b5311bc01f98dad2fc6 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/72279a8e2004b32b20d8767ff010c117193dd02c (opens in a new tab)