CVE-2026-55697

pnpm: Repository-controlled configDependencies can select a pacquet native install engine

Published

2026-06-26

Modified

2026-08-13

EPSS percentile

7%

Aliases

GHSA-gj8w-mvpf-x27x

Sources

github-advisory

Summary

## Maintainer Action Plan This report is ready to review with the shared patch branch. Start with the PR and the expected fixed behavior, then use the detailed exploit narrative below only if you want to replay the original path. - Advisory: `CAND-PNPM-097` / `GHSA-gj8w-mvpf-x27x` - Advisory URL: https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/security/advisories/GHSA-gj8w-mvpf-x27x - Shared patch PR: https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm-ghsa-j2hc-m6cf-6jm8/pull/1 - Shared patch branch: `security/ghsa-batch-2026-06-09` - Patch commit: `a93449314f398cf4bdf2e28d033c02d37395ad22` - Base commit: `origin/main` `55a4035abf1ae3fe7208ba1f5ef43c5eff58ccec` - Maintainer priority: `start-here` - Component: `pnpm configDependencies / pacquet delegation` - Patch area: pacquet/configDependency lifecycle execution is not used as install engine without trust - Affected packages: `npm:pnpm`, `npm:@pnpm/config.reader`, `npm:@pnpm/installing.commands` - CWE IDs: `CWE-829`, `CWE-78`, `CWE-494` - Conservative CVSS: `7.5` / `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H` - Next action: review the shared patch branch for this component, set the final affected version range, merge and release the fix, then publish or close the advisory. ### Expected Patched Behavior config-dependency pacquet install engines are not selected unless the trusted allowlist is set outside the repository; the marker file is not created. ### Files And Tests To Review - `config/reader/src/Config.ts` - `config/reader/src/types.ts` - `config/reader/src/configFileKey.ts` - `config/reader/src/index.ts` - `config/reader/test/index.ts` - `installing/commands/src/installDeps.ts` - `installing/commands/test/runPacquet.ts` - `pnpm/test/install/pacquet.ts` - `.changeset/lucky-config-plugin-pnpmfiles.md` ### Focused Validation Run these from a checkout of the shared patch branch. They are the useful maintainer commands with machine-local artifact paths removed. ```bash ./node_modules/.bin/tsgo --build config/reader/tsconfig.json ./node_modules/.bin/tsgo --build installing/commands/tsconfig.json ./node_modules/.bin/tsgo --build pnpm/tsconfig.json NODE_OPTIONS="--experimental-vm-modules --disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning --disable-warning=DEP0169" ../../node_modules/.bin/jest test/runPacquet.ts --runInBand NODE_OPTIONS="--experimental-vm-modules --disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning --disable-warning=DEP0169" ../../node_modules/.bin/jest test/index.ts -t "config dependency code allowlists|user-level preference settings" --runInBand ./node_modules/.bin/eslint config/reader/src/Config.ts config/reader/src/types.ts config/reader/src/configFileKey.ts config/reader/src/index.ts config/reader/test/index.ts installing/commands/src/installDeps.ts installing/commands/test/runPacquet.ts pnpm/test/install/pacquet.ts git diff --check ``` The full patched replay for the shared branch passed with all 20 candidates marked fixed. This candidate's replay evidence is `results/CAND-PNPM-097-patched-result.json`. ### Summary pnpm can install `configDependencies` declared in `pnpm-workspace.yaml` before command dispatch. Before the patch, a repository could declare `pacquet` or `@pnpm/pacquet` as a config dependency and pnpm treated that repository-controlled dependency as an install-engine opt-in. During install, pnpm resolved a platform-specific `@pacquet/ - /pacquet` binary from `node_modules/.pnpm-config/ ` and spawned it as the developer or CI user. ### Details The vulnerable source-to-sink path was: - `config/reader/src/getOptionsFromRootManifest.ts` copies repository `pnpm-workspace.yaml` `configDependencies` into config. - `pnpm/src/getConfig.ts` installs config dependencies before command dispatch. - `installing/env-installer/src/resolveAndInstallConfigDeps.ts` resolves the repository-declared dependency and its optional platform subdependencies. - `installing/env-installer/src/installConfigDeps.ts` fetches, imports, and

Affected packages

Remediation: Upgrade to 10.34.2 or later.

References

• https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-gj8w-mvpf-x27x