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.
No advisories yet.
Solution
Upgrade Hex to 2.5.2 or later, for example with mix local.hex. Hex then skips package releases that give a dependency an application name other than a letter followed by letters, digits, _ and -, and warns about them. Resolution fails if no other release of the package fits the requirements.
Workaround
Before running mix deps.get on a mix.lock from an untrusted change, check that every key in mix.lock is a plain application name without /, \ or ... There's no workaround for new dependency resolution with mix deps.update or mix deps.get without a lock entry.
Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | |
| Title | Path traversal in Hex via unvalidated dependency app names | |
| First Time appeared |
Hexpm
Hexpm hex |
|
| Weaknesses | CWE-22 | |
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:a:hexpm:hex:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Hexpm
Hexpm hex |
|
| References |
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|
| Metrics |
cvssV4_0
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Projects
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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: EEF
Published:
Updated: 2026-10-12T15:39:49.862Z
Reserved: 2026-10-01T09:00:02.103Z
Link: CVE-2026-96612
No data.
Status : Received
Published: 2026-10-12T16:17:07.637
Modified: 2026-10-12T16:17:07.637
Link: CVE-2026-96612
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-10-12T16:30:14Z