pnpm Repository-controlled configDependencies Native Install Engine RCE Vulnerability

Vulnerability Overview CAND-PNPM-097: Repository-controlled configDependencies can select a pacquet native install engine Vulnerability Description: This vulnerability allows the selection of the native install engine via repository-controlled , potentially enabling malicious repositories to execute arbitrary commands. Severity: High CVSS Score: 7.5 / 10 CVE ID: CVE-2026-55697 Impact Scope Affected Versions: - - Fixed Versions: - - Affected Packages: , , Impacted Products: , , Remediation Plan Maintainer Action Plan: - Review the shared patch branch, using PRs and expected fix behaviors. - Reconstruct the original code path using detailed explanatory narratives. - Review the shared patch branch to determine the final scope of affected versions, merge and publish the fix, then close or decline the suggestion. Expected Fix Behavior: - The install engine is not selected unless a trusted whitelist is configured; marker files are not created. File and Test Review: - Review the following files and tests: - - - - - - - - - Focused Verification: - Run maintainer commands from a checkout of the shared patch branch, removing machine-local artifact paths. - Verification results include: - POC confirms that the selected config dependency triggers native process execution. - The patch to returns undefined without a trusted whitelist. - The patch to allows exact package, exact , and wildcard trusted options. - Regression tests prove that the user's global config can set , whereas cannot grant this permission. - E2E tests that intentionally delegate to now pass the trusted whitelist via environment configuration. - TypeScript build passes for , , and . - Focused test passes. - Focused test passes, skipping 132 tests. - ESLint warns only on existing skipped tests in and . - passes. POC Code Additional Information CVSS Base Metrics: - Attack Vector: Network - Attack Complexity: High - Privileges Required: None - User Interaction: Required - Scope: Unchanged - Confidentiality: High - Integrity: High - Availability: High Weaknesses: - CWE-429: Misuse of functionality from an untrusted control sphere - CWE-78: Improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command - CWE-494: Lack of integrity check during code download Patch Details: - Adds a trusted entry gate for delegating to install engines. - The trusted whitelist can be configured from trusted user-controlled configurations such as global CLI config, CLI config, or environment config. - cannot grant this permission; values provided by the workspace are discarded after workspace configuration merge. - only delegates to if , , or exists in the trusted whitelist. - Repositories can still list as a config dependency, but will not use it as an install engine unless the trusted config option is set. - Existing tests that intentionally execute delegation have been updated to pass the trusted whitelist via environment configuration. CVSS Re-evaluation: - The initial CVSS for affected versions remains valid: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H / 8.8 High. - Post-patch CVSS: 0.0 after patching. The POC no longer achieves install engine selection or native process execution unless the victim has set a trusted whitelist outside of workspace settings. Residual Risk: - Users can explicitly trust the install engine delegation via the new trusted whitelist. This is expected behavior; the reported issue is the repository's self-authorization of native install engines provided by the registry.

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pnpm Repository-controlled configDependencies Native Install Engine RCE Vulnerability

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