# CVE-2026-35525: LiquidJS has a root restriction bypass for partial and layout loading through symlinked templates

> Attackers can bypass template root restrictions via symlinks to read arbitrary files outside the allowed directory in LiquidJS.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** CLEANSTART-2026-HT72658, GHSA-56p5-8mhr-2fph, MINI-3mqq-vm6m-mq32, MINI-mhgv-94r8-gj9m

## What is CVE-2026-35525?

CVE-2026-35525 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in harttle liquidjs, published on 8 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

LiquidJS is a Shopify / GitHub Pages compatible template engine in pure JavaScript. Prior to 10.25.3, for {% include %}, {% render %}, and {% layout %}, LiquidJS checks whether the candidate path is inside the configured partials or layouts roots before reading it. That check is path-based, not realpath-based. Because of that, a file like partials/link.liquid passes the directory containment check as long as its pathname is under the allowed root. If link.liquid is actually a symlink to a file outside the allowed root, the filesystem follows the symlink when the file is opened and LiquidJS renders the external target. So the restriction is applied to the path string that was requested, not to the file that is actually read. This matters in environments where an attacker can place templates or otherwise influence files under a trusted template root, including uploaded themes, extracted archives, mounted content, or repository-controlled template trees. This vulnerability is fixed in 10.25.3.

Weakness: CWE-61 (UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-35525?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including liquidjs. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `liquidjs` | npm | All versions | 10.25.3 |
| `liquidjs` | npm | All versions | 10.25.3 |

Products: Liquidjs Liquidjs.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-35525?

Upgrade liquidjs to 10.25.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-35525 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-35525 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in harttle liquidjs

- [CVE-2026-30952](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-30952/): liquidjs has a path traversal fallback vulnerability (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2026-41311](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41311/): LiquidJS is vulnerable to Denial of Service via circular block reference in layout (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-33285](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33285/): LiquidJS: memoryLimit Bypass through Negative Range Values Leads to Process Crash (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-33287](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33287/): LiquidJS has Exponential Memory Amplification through its replace_first Filter $& Pattern (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-39859](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-39859/): LiquidJS has a renderFile() / parseFile() bypass configured root and allow arbitrary file read (medium 6.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-35525 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-35525 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in harttle liquidjs, published on 8 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-35525 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- liquidjs (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 10.25.3
- liquidjs (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 10.25.3

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35525/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35525/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-35525
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-35525
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-35525

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35525/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.