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Esm.Sh CVE-2026-23644

HIGH
Path Traversal (CWE-22)
2026-01-18 security-advisories@github.com GHSA-2657-3c98-63jq
7.5
CVSS 3.1 · GitHub Advisory
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Craft malicious tar archive with absolute paths
  2. Exploit
    Upload to esm.sh CDN
  3. Execution
    path.Clean fails to sanitize absolute paths
  4. Impact
    Overwrite arbitrary files on server

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

No special conditions — remote unauthenticated exploitation against esm.sh CDN versions prior to Go pseudoversion 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e that process tar archives with incomplete path sanitization.

Impact

CVSS 7.5 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: Low. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None. Exploitable via remote/network. Public exploit/POC available.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

Path traversal in esm.sh CDN prior to version 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e allows unauthenticated remote attackers to write arbitrary files to the server through malicious tar archives, bypassing incomplete path sanitization. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability. The issue stems from improper validation of absolute paths in tar file entries, enabling potential code execution or service disruption on affected systems.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 21:54 CVSS 7.5

esm.sh is a no-build content delivery network (CDN) for web development. Prior to Go pseeudoversion 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e, the software has a path traversal vulnerability due to an incomplete fix. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]

RemediationAI

A vendor patch is available — apply it immediately. Validate and sanitize file path inputs. Use allowlists. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.

Affected Packages

go github.com/esm-dev/esm.sh fix: 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in go

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Classified as CWE-22 (Path Traversal). Affects Esm.Sh. esm.sh is a no-build content delivery network (CDN) for web development. Prior to Go pseeudoversion 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e, the software has a path traversal vulnerability due to an incomplete fix. path.Clean normalizes a path but does not prevent absolute paths in a malicious tar file. Commit https://github.com/esm-dev/esm.sh/commit/9d77b88c320733ff6689d938d85d246a3af9af16, corresponding to pseudoversion 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e, fixes this issue.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

GitHub Advisory PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
SUSE HIGH

Primary rating from GitHub Advisory.

CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

3
PoC Detected
Feb 18, 2026 - 16:10 vuln.today
Public exploit code
Patch released
Feb 18, 2026 - 16:10 nvd
Patch available
CVE Published
Jan 18, 2026 - 23:15 nvd
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionGitHub Advisory

esm.sh is a no-build content delivery network (CDN) for web development. Prior to Go pseeudoversion 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e, the software has a path traversal vulnerability due to an incomplete fix. path.Clean normalizes a path but does not prevent absolute paths in a malicious tar file. Commit https://github.com/esm-dev/esm.sh/commit/9d77b88c320733ff6689d938d85d246a3af9af16, corresponding to pseudoversion 0.0.0-20260116051925-c62ab83c589e, fixes this issue.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Organizations using esm.sh face notable risk from CVE-2026-23644, a path traversal vulnerability rated CVSS 7.5. This could allow attackers to access or modify files outside intended directories, potentially exposing sensitive configuration or credentials. Proof-of-concept code is publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation. A patch is available and should be applied as part of regular vulnerability management.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Restrict file upload functionality via WAF; (2) Implement allowlist-based file type validation; (3) Use chroot/containerization to limit filesystem access.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 72% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation· derived
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

58
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.

Affected Products (CPE)GitHub Advisory

cpe:2.3:a:esm:esm.sh:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: High
Product Status
openSUSE Leap 15.6 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP5 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Package Hub 15 SP6 Fixed
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Fixed

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