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 `$PWD/.nvmrc` with `tee`, which follows a symbolic link. A repository that commits `.nvmrc` as a symlink to a path outside itself (git recreates the link on clone) therefore makes `--save` truncate any file the user can write, such as a shell startup file or `~/.ssh/authorized_keys`, and replace its contents with the version string, or create the target of a dangling link; the link itself is left unchanged, so `git status` stays clean. The attacker does not control the content written, so this is data loss, not code execution. Version 0.41.0 refuses, with a warning, to write when `.nvmrc` in the current directory is a symlink, dangling or not, rather than writing through it or replacing it.
"}],"value":"Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.40.0 through 0.40.8, `nvm use --save` and `nvm install --save` (or `-w`) write the resolved version to `$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."}],"metrics":[{"cvssV4_0":{"Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","attackVector":"LOCAL","baseScore":6.7,"baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","exploitMaturity":"NOT_DEFINED","privilegesRequired":"NONE","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","userInteraction":"ACTIVE","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vectorString":"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","version":"4.0","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","vulnIntegrityImpact":"HIGH","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED"},"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}]},{"cvssV3_1":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackVector":"LOCAL","availabilityImpact":"NONE","baseScore":5.5,"baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","confidentialityImpact":"NONE","integrityImpact":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"NONE","scope":"UNCHANGED","userInteraction":"REQUIRED","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","version":"3.1"},"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}]}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-59","description":"CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')","lang":"en","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"dateUpdated":"2026-11-04T21:31:57.022Z","orgId":"7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158","shortName":"harborist"},"references":[{"name":"GHSA-8qjx-8r8m-mpqh","tags":["vendor-advisory"],"url":"https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/security/advisories/GHSA-8qjx-8r8m-mpqh"},{"name":"Fix commit 3f8411e5","tags":["patch"],"url":"https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/commit/3f8411e58d40b904e4ff6a96512391f56bd95bf7"}],"solutions":[{"lang":"en","supportingMedia":[{"base64":false,"type":"text/html","value":"Upgrade to nvm 0.41.0 or later.
"}],"value":"Upgrade to nvm 0.41.0 or later."}],"source":{"advisory":"GHSA-8qjx-8r8m-mpqh","discovery":"EXTERNAL"},"title":"nvm use --save and nvm install --save write through a symlinked .nvmrc, overwriting any file the user can write","workarounds":[{"lang":"en","supportingMedia":[{"base64":false,"type":"text/html","value":"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.
"}],"value":"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."}]}},"cveMetadata":{"assignerOrgId":"7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158","assignerShortName":"harborist","cveId":"CVE-2026-121746","datePublished":"2026-11-04T21:31:57.022Z","dateReserved":"2026-11-03T23:38:59.223Z","dateUpdated":"2026-11-04T21:31:57.022Z","state":"PUBLISHED"},"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2"},"nvd":{"publishedDate":"2026-11-04 22:17:54","lastModifiedDate":"2026-11-04 22:17:54","problem_types":["CWE-59","CWE-59 CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')"],"metrics":{"cvssMetricV40":[{"source":"7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158","type":"Secondary","cvssData":{"version":"4.0","vectorString":"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","baseScore":6.7,"baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","attackVector":"LOCAL","attackComplexity":"LOW","attackRequirements":"NONE","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"ACTIVE","vulnConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","vulnIntegrityImpact":"HIGH","vulnAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","subConfidentialityImpact":"NONE","subIntegrityImpact":"NONE","subAvailabilityImpact":"NONE","exploitMaturity":"NOT_DEFINED","confidentialityRequirement":"NOT_DEFINED","integrityRequirement":"NOT_DEFINED","availabilityRequirement":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedAttackVector":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedAttackComplexity":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedAttackRequirements":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedPrivilegesRequired":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedUserInteraction":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedSubIntegrityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact":"NOT_DEFINED","Safety":"NOT_DEFINED","Automatable":"NOT_DEFINED","Recovery":"NOT_DEFINED","valueDensity":"NOT_DEFINED","vulnerabilityResponseEffort":"NOT_DEFINED","providerUrgency":"NOT_DEFINED"}}],"cvssMetricV31":[{"source":"7ffcee3d-2c14-4c3e-b844-86c6a321a158","type":"Secondary","cvssData":{"version":"3.1","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N","baseScore":5.5,"baseSeverity":"MEDIUM","attackVector":"LOCAL","attackComplexity":"LOW","privilegesRequired":"NONE","userInteraction":"REQUIRED","scope":"UNCHANGED","confidentialityImpact":"NONE","integrityImpact":"HIGH","availabilityImpact":"NONE"},"exploitabilityScore":1.8,"impactScore":3.6}]},"configurations":[]},"legacy_mitre":{"record":{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"121746","Ordinal":"1","Title":"nvm use --save and nvm install --save write through a symlinked ","CVE":"CVE-2026-121746","Year":"2026"},"notes":[{"CveYear":"2026","CveId":"121746","Ordinal":"1","NoteData":"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.","Type":"Description","Title":"nvm use --save and nvm install --save write through a symlinked "}]}}}