nvm use --save and nvm install --save write through a symlinked .nvmrc, overwriting any file the user can write
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-121746 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | harborist |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-11-04 22:17:54 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-11-04 22:17:54 UTC |
| Description | Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.40.0 through 0.40.8, `nvm use --save` and `nvm install --save` (or `-w`) write the resolved version to `$PWD/.nvmrc` with `tee`, which follows a symbolic link. A repository that commits `.nvmrc` as a symlink to a path outside itself (git recreates the link on clone) therefore makes `--save` truncate any file the user can write, such as a shell startup file or `~/.ssh/authorized_keys`, and replace its contents with the version string, or create the target of a dangling link; the link itself is left unchanged, so `git status` stays clean. The attacker does not control the content written, so this is data loss, not code execution. Version 0.41.0 refuses, with a warning, to write when `.nvmrc` in the current directory is a symlink, dangling or not, rather than writing through it or replacing it. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v4.0 6.7 MEDIUM from 7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Problem Types: CWE-59 | CWE-59 CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158 | Secondary | 6.7 | MEDIUM | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/C... |
| 4.0 | CNA | CVSS | 6.7 | MEDIUM | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| 3.1 | 7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158 | Secondary | 5.5 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 5.5 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
CVSS v4.0 Breakdown
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Vendor Declared Affected Products
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/commit/3f8411e58d40b904e4ff6a96512391f56bd95bf7 | 7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158 | github.com | |
| github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/security/advisories/GHSA-8qjx-8r8m-mpqh | 7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158 | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Adel Assakaf (https://github.com/assakafpix) (en)
CNA: Anthropic's OSS Scanner, as part of vulnerability ANT-2026-G9REVGKT (en)
CNA: Jordan Harband (https://github.com/ljharb) (en)
Additional Advisory Data
Solutions
CNA: Upgrade to nvm 0.41.0 or later.
Workarounds
CNA: Until upgrading, check that `.nvmrc` is not a symlink (`ls -l .nvmrc`) before running `nvm use --save` or `nvm install --save` in an untrusted project directory.