# CVE-2017-18355: Google Rendertron information disclosure of absolute file paths

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-18355-google-rendertron-information-disclosure-of-absolute-file-paths  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2019-02-12. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2017-18355 · Severity: low · CVSS 3 · Published 2019-02-12

Rendertron is a headless Chrome rendering service used to pre-render web applications for search engines and crawlers. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to discover the absolute file paths of installed Node.js packages by reading metadata exposed in the node_modules directory, potentially revealing sensitive deployment and infrastructure information that could aid in further attacks.

Technologies: [rendertron (npm)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/rendertron). Vendors: [npm](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/npm).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2017-18355 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2017-18355 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2017-18355?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3, published 12 February 2019.

**Which products and versions are affected?** rendertron (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.1.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2017-18355?** Yes. rendertron (npm): upgrade to 1.1.0 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2017-18355 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2017-18355?** Check whether you run rendertron (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- rendertron (npm): upgrade to 1.1.0 or later

  ```sh
  npm install rendertron@1.1.0
  ```


## Technical details

Rendertron versions prior to 1.1.0 expose the node_modules directory and package metadata over the network, allowing attackers to read the "_where" attribute in package.json files. This CWE-200 information disclosure vulnerability is network-accessible with no authentication or user interaction required. An attacker can craft requests to retrieve package.json files from installed dependencies, revealing absolute file paths on the server that disclose the application's directory structure and deployment configuration. The vulnerability was fixed in version 1.1.0 by removing or restricting access to sensitive package metadata.

## Affected products

- Google Rendertron before 1.1.0

## Identifiers

- CVE-2017-18355
- GHSA-vqmr-957g-r7w3

## Timeline

- 2019-02-12: disclosed
- 2017-08-30: patched: Fix merged to master branch; version 1.1.0 released with patch

## References

- [https://github.com/GoogleChrome/rendertron/pull/88](https://github.com/GoogleChrome/rendertron/pull/88)

## Related threats

- [Rendertron SSRF via specially crafted webpage](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-8902-rendertron-ssrf-via-specially-crafted-webpage)
- [Google Rendertron reflected XSS in error reporting](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-18352-google-rendertron-reflected-xss-in-error-reporting)
- [Google Rendertron local file inclusion vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-18354-google-rendertron-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability)
- [Google rendertron unauthorized Chrome shutdown via _ah/stop route](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-18353-google-rendertron-unauthorized-chrome-shutdown-via-ah-stop-route)