nvm prints the contents of any readable file through a symlinked .nvmrc
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-121747 |
|---|---|
| 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 0.2.0 through 0.40.8, nvm does not check whether `.nvmrc` is a symbolic link. A repository or archive that ships `.nvmrc` as a symlink to another file (for example `../../.npmrc`, or `/proc/self/environ` on Linux) makes a plain `nvm use`, `nvm install`, `nvm which`, `nvm exec`, `nvm run`, or `nvm-exec` read that file and print its contents in the invalid-`.nvmrc` message (even with `--silent`) or, for a one-line file, in the `Found ... with version <...>` message; with the README's zsh `load-nvmrc` or bash `cdnvm` hook installed, entering the directory is enough. nvm sends the content nowhere; the attacker learns it only where they can see the victim's output, such as a CI log for a contributed branch. Version 0.41.0 still follows a symlinked `.nvmrc`, so deliberate links to another version file keep working, but never prints its content, and accepts it only if it contains a version or the name of an existing alias; the README's bash `cdnvm` hook, which read `.nvmrc` itself, now gets the version from nvm, so users of that hook must also update their copy of 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:H/VI:N/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-61 | CWE-200 | CWE-59 CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') | CWE-61 CWE-61 UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following | CWE-200 CWE-200 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
| 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:H/VI:N/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:H/VI:N/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:H/I:N/A:N |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 5.5 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
CVSS v4.0 Breakdown
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:N/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:H/I:N/A:N
Vendor Declared Affected Products
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/commit/67268ebcb6e1a26ae3d71b3710d6333bb7358662 | 7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158 | github.com | |
| github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/security/advisories/GHSA-j6ch-mq5c-3h4x | 7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158 | github.com | |
| github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/commit/c314f1cbb3c301c587a4e4f96511d31f1134ffd1 | 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: Anthropic's OSS Scanner, as vulnerability ANT-2026-G9REVGKT (en)
CNA: d3doxp (https://github.com/d3doxp) (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 for a symlinked `.nvmrc` (`ls -l .nvmrc`) before running nvm in an untrusted project directory, and do not run nvm in CI for untrusted branches where its output is visible to their authors.