VulnerabilityDeferred

CVE-2025-13437

When zx is invoked with --prefer-local=<path>, the CLI creates a symlink named ./node_modules pointing to <path>/node_modules.

MEDIUM 5.6EPSS 0.09%

Does this matter?

Lower severity and a low EPSS score (0.09%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.

Description

When zx is invoked with --prefer-local=<path>, the CLI creates a symlink named ./node_modules pointing to <path>/node_modules. Due to a logic error in src/cli.ts (linkNodeModules / cleanup), the function returns the target path instead of the alias (symlink path). The later cleanup routine removes what it received, which deletes the target directory itself. Result: zx can delete an external <path>/node_modules outside the current working directory.

CVSS 4.0: 5.6 MEDIUMCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:H/SA:H/E:U/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/M
EPSS: 0.09% probability · 0th percentile
CISA KEV: Not listed
Weakness: CWE-706
Source: cve-coordination@google.com

References

https://github.com/google/zx/issues/1348

Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.