# CVE-2026-96612: Path traversal in Hex via unvalidated dependency app names

> A malicious package publisher can delete arbitrary directories and write files outside the project dependencies folder during dependency fetching.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-96612, EEF-CVE-2026-96612, GHSA-2vjj-c5hr-6xc3, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-96612

## What is CVE-2026-96612?

CVE-2026-96612 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in hexpm hex, published on 12 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official 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.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-96612?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-96612?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-96612 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-96612 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-96612 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-96612 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in hexpm hex, published on 12 Oct 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-96612 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: hexpm hex. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2026-96612/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-96612/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96612
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96612
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96612

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-96612/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.