# CVE-2026-44301: Hugo: Node tool execution allows file system access outside the project directory

> Attackers can read or write files outside the project directory by exploiting Node-based asset pipelines in Hugo when building untrusted sites.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 May 2026
- **Updated:** 13 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-44301, GHSA-x597-9fr4-5857, GO-2026-5740, JLSEC-2026-793, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-44301

## What is CVE-2026-44301?

CVE-2026-44301 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in gohugoio hugo, published on 12 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Hugo is a static site generator. From 0.43 to before 0.161.0, when building a Hugo site that uses Node-based asset pipelines (PostCSS, Babel, TailwindCSS), Hugo invoked the configured Node tools without restrictions on file system access. As a result, executing hugo against an untrusted site could allow code running through these tools to read or write files outside the project's working directory. Users who do not use PostCSS, Babel, or TailwindCSS, or who only build trusted sites, are not affected. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.161.0.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-44301?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/gohugoio/hugo. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/gohugoio/hugo` | Go | All versions | 0.161.0 |
| `github.com/gohugoio/hugo` | Go | From 0.43.0 | 0.161.0 |
| `github.com/gohugoio/hugo` | Go | From 0.43.0 | 0.161.0 |

Products: Gohugo Hugo.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-44301?

Upgrade github.com/gohugoio/hugo to 0.161.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-44301 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-44301 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in gohugoio hugo

- [CVE-2026-75926](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-75926/): Hugo 0.162.0 to 0.164.x - Node Permission Model Bypass via Default TailwindCSS Child-Process Grant (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2026-100690](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-100690/): Hugo v0.161.0 to v0.165.0 Arbitrary File Read via Symlinks (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2026-100692](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-100692/): Hugo before v0.166.0 Path Traversal via Symlinked Mount Roots (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2026-100693](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-100693/): Hugo v0.162.0 before v0.166.0 IP-literal Deny Rule Bypass (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2020-26284](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-26284/): Hugo can execute a binary from the current directory on Windows (high 7.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-44301 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-44301 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in gohugoio hugo, published on 12 May 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-44301 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/gohugoio/hugo (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 0.161.0
- github.com/gohugoio/hugo (Go): affected from 0.43.0; fixed in 0.161.0
- github.com/gohugoio/hugo (Go): affected from 0.43.0; fixed in 0.161.0

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-2026-44301/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44301/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44301
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44301
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-44301

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44301/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.