Path traversal in Hex via unvalidated dependency app names (CVE-2026-96612)

What is affected, what to do

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.

Update Hex to version 2.5.2.

Affected

• Hex lt 0.6.0..2.5.2

Fixed in

• Hex 2.5.2

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Metrics

Detection rules

No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

Classification under NIS2 and CRA

Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

NIS2

NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

Read in glossary

High technical severity: assess and remediate the vulnerability in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2 and document the decision.

CRA

The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

Read in glossary

From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

Read in glossary

Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

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.

Source: cvelistv5, NVD (NIST), OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Vendors and products

• Hexpm Hex

Weakness classes (CWE)

• CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

  Base

  The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.

  Entry at MITRE CWE-22

References & sources

• github.comGitHub Advisoryrelated, Vendor advisory
• cna.erlef.orgEEF CNA record for CVE-2026-96612related
• OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)OSV record EEF-CVE-2026-96612related
• github.comIntroducing commit 380f870 in hexpm/hexrelated
• github.comFix commit 1b3e2ae in hexpm/hexPatch
• github.comFix commit 72279a8 in hexpm/hexPatch

Changes to this CVE

Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).

1. 16.10.2026Record modifiedCISA ADP

   CISA assessment (SSVC): exploitation: none known, automatable: no

   Show the original change

   Individual changes of this event as published by NVD

   Type	Action	Before	After
   SSVC assessment	added	—	{"id":"CVE-2026-96612","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"exploitation":"none"},{"automatable":"no"},{"technicalImpact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-10-16T17:41:34.850974Z"}

   Source identifier: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

2. 12.10.2026ReceivedEEF

   CVSS V4.0: AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

   Weakness type: CWE-22

   Description added or changed

   New references:

   • https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-96612.html
   • https://github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/1b3e2ae8f0dd7273a2c2625b9e50b6c67c8568fb
   • https://github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/380f87054e1bc08ee13d2b5311bc01f98dad2fc6
   • https://github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/72279a8e2004b32b20d8767ff010c117193dd02c

   and 2 more references

   Show 10 original changes

   Individual changes of this event as published by NVD

   Type	Action	Before	After
   Description	added	—	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.
   CVSS	added	—	AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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
   Weakness type (CWE)	added	—	CWE-22
   Affected versions (publisher)	added	—	New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/96xxx/CVE-2026-96612.json">CVE-2026-96612</a>
   Reference	added	—	https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2026-96612.html
   Reference	added	—	https://github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/1b3e2ae8f0dd7273a2c2625b9e50b6c67c8568fb
   Reference	added	—	https://github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/380f87054e1bc08ee13d2b5311bc01f98dad2fc6
   Reference	added	—	https://github.com/hexpm/hex/commit/72279a8e2004b32b20d8767ff010c117193dd02c
   Reference	added	—	https://github.com/hexpm/hex/security/advisories/GHSA-2vjj-c5hr-6xc3
   Reference	added	—	https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2026-96612

   Source identifier: 6b3ad84c-e1a6-4bf7-a703-f496b71e49db