Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessDeliver repo with crafted workspaces config
-
ExploitVictim runs Knip autofix
-
ExecutionPath traversal in IssueFixer writeFile
-
ImpactOverwrite or delete files outside workspace
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 | Exploitation requires a victim to run Knip's autofix/IssueFixer path (the writeFile routine) against a project whose Knip configuration supplies an attacker-controlled 'workspaces' argument containing path-traversal sequences; the manipulated workspace path then escapes the intended directory to overwrite or delete files. Limiting factors: it is not triggered by a passive/default run - it needs the fix behavior to be invoked (UI:P) and an attacker-influenced configuration or repository to be processed, so it is a developer-workstation/supply-chain exposure rather than a service-facing remote flaw. Precisely how the writeFile routine resolves the traversal beyond the manipulated workspaces argument is not detailed in the available sources. |
| Impact | This is a modest-severity (CVSS 4.0 base 5.3, MEDIUM) path-traversal issue (CWE-22) in Knip, a developer CLI for finding unused files/exports/dependencies, specifically in the writeFile logic of its IssueFixer (autofix) component. The signals point to low real-world urgency rather than an emergency: EPSS is not provided, the issue is NOT on CISA KEV, SSVC/decision labeling from vuln.today is 'this_month' (not act_now/emergency), and a public PoC reference exists but is not verified as working exploit code. The supplied CVSS 4.0 vector asserts network attack vector (AV:N) with required user interaction (UI:P) and low impact across confidentiality, integrity and availability. The AV:N claim conflicts with the nature of the product: Knip is a local developer tool that operates on a project's workspaces configuration, so 'remote' realistically means an attacker-supplied repository/config that a victim then processes locally - verify the attack-vector assumption rather than treating AV:N as true network-service exposure. Overall this reads as a genuine but low-priority developer-supply-chain hygiene issue, not a widely weaponizable remote flaw. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker publishes or contributes a repository whose Knip configuration sets a crafted 'workspaces' value containing path-traversal sequences; when a developer runs Knip's autofix mode, the IssueFixer writeFile routine resolves the manipulated workspace path and writes/overwrites or deletes files outside the intended workspace directory. The referenced PoC (titled 'Knip Workspaces Config Path Traversal File Deletion Overwrite') describes this file deletion/overwrite behavior, but it is a reference only and not verified as working exploit code; exploitation requires user interaction (UI:P), namely the victim running the tool against the attacker-influenced configuration. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Nov 02, 2026
Path traversal in the Knip developer CLI (Webpro-nl, versions up to and including 6.44.0) allows a crafted 'workspaces' value in a project's Knip configuration to escape the intended directory when the autofix writeFile routine in IssueFixer.ts is executed, overwriting or deleting files outside the project tree. The issue is rated 5.3 MEDIUM under CVSS 4.0 (CWE-22); exploitation is not passive, it requires a victim to run the autofix/IssueFixer path against a project whose configuration or repository content is attacker-influenced, making this a developer-workstation and supply-chain exposure rather than a service-facing remote flaw. No confirmed active exploitation (CISA KEV) is recorded, but a public PoC reference exists; it is not verified as working exploit code. The vendor was contacted about the disclosure and did not respond.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch was identified at time of analysis - the vendor was contacted and did not respond, and no fixed version is listed in the available references, so verify the current release state at https://vuldb.com/vuln/429657 before upgrading. Until a fix is available, the most direct control is to avoid running Knip's autofix/IssueFixer path on untrusted repositories or configuration: use scan-only/reporting invocations without the fix flag, accepting that automated remediation of unused files and exports is lost. Before any autofix run, inspect the 'workspaces' entries in knip.json and any inherited configuration for traversal sequences ('../', absolute paths) and reject them, which requires manual review effort on every contributed config. Run Knip in a container or under an account whose write access is confined to the project checkout so that a successful traversal cannot reach sensitive files, at the cost of additional CI setup. Finally, keep developer workstations and CI runners on least-privilege file permissions so overwrite/delete impact is bounded.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Knip is a Node.js/TypeScript command-line tool that scans a project for unused files, exports and dependencies, and its IssueFixer component can automatically apply fixes - including writing files through the writeFile function in packages/knip/src/IssueFixer.ts. The Workspace Handler consumes the 'workspaces' argument, and because that path value is not constrained to the project root, traversal sequences in it resolve outside the intended directory, giving the CWE-22 class its file overwrite and deletion impact. The CPE entry cpe:2.3:a:webpro-nl:knip:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers the affected product line up to 6.44.0. Precisely how writeFile resolves the traversal beyond the manipulated workspaces argument is not detailed in the available sources, and the trigger is confined to the autofix code path rather than ordinary scanning runs.
Know when Knip gets its next vulnerability
- Watch products and get an email when something new is published
- Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
No credit card · 7-day full trial
Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P
Knip is a local CLI that must be run against an attacker-influenced workspaces config (AV:L, UI:R, PR:N); impact is arbitrary file overwrite/deletion, affecting integrity and availability but not confidentiality.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulDB).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulDB
Lifecycle Timeline
3DescriptionCVE.org
A security vulnerability has been detected in Webpro-nl Knip up to 6.44.0. The impacted element is the function writeFile of the file packages/knip/src/IssueFixer.ts of the component Workspace Handler. Such manipulation of the argument workspaces leads to path traversal. The attack can be executed remotely. The exploit has been disclosed publicly and may be used. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
EUVD-2026-115008
GHSA-f9qv-qgvr-6jvv
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
VulDB
Exploit-DB