# CVE-2026-55699: pnpm path traversal and directory deletion via malicious manifest bin keys

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-55699-pnpm-path-traversal-and-directory-deletion-via-malicious-manifest  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-06-25. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-55699 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.5 · Published 2026-06-25

pnpm is a fast Node.js package manager used by developers to install and manage project dependencies. When removing a globally-installed package, pnpm can be tricked into deleting critical system directories if the package contains specially-crafted bin entries with reserved names like ".." (parent directory). An attacker can distribute a malicious package that, once uninstalled globally, destroys the pnpm installation directory itself, preventing further package management operations.

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

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-55699 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-55699 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-55699?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 25 June 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** pnpm (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=10.34.2.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-55699?** Yes. pnpm (npm): upgrade to 10.34.2 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-55699 attacked?** It is attacked over the network or with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-55699?** Check whether you run pnpm (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

- pnpm (npm): upgrade to 10.34.2 or later

  ```sh
  npm install pnpm@10.34.2
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability is a path traversal flaw in pnpm's global package removal flow (CWE-22, CWE-73). The bins/resolver component accepts reserved bin names (empty string, ".", "..") that bypass validation checks for URL-safe text. When global remove, update, or add-replacement commands scan installed manifests and call path.join(globalBinDir, binName), reserved names cause path traversal: "." targets the global bin directory itself, ".." targets its parent. The removal sink (bins/remover/removeBins.ts) recursively deletes the resulting path. Install-time checks do not prevent this because conflict validation occurs on an already-escaped path and does not reject reserved segments. Attack requires a user to globally install a malicious package, then issue pnpm global remove. The fix (patched in pnpm 10.34.2 and 11.5.3+) validates and rejects reserved bin names in the resolver after scope stripping.

## Affected products

- pnpm pnpm <10.34.2 and >=11.0.0 <11.5.3

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-55699
- GHSA-4gxm-v5v7-fqc4

## Timeline

- 2026-06-26: disclosed
- 2026-06-26: patched: pnpm 10.34.2 and 11.5.3+

## References

- [https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/security/advisories/GHSA-4gxm-v5v7-fqc4](https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/security/advisories/GHSA-4gxm-v5v7-fqc4)
- [https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm](https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm)

## Related threats

- [pnpm environment secret exfiltration via proxy settings in workspace manifest](https://junglewise.ai/threats/pnpm-environment-secret-exfiltration-via-proxy-settings-in-workspace-f6626cca)
- [pnpm pacquet path traversal in lockfile dependency symlinks](https://junglewise.ai/threats/pnpm-pacquet-path-traversal-in-lockfile-dependency-symlinks-dc3f81d1)
- [pnpm tarball dependency manifest name path traversal arbitrary file write](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-82393-pnpm-tarball-dependency-manifest-name-path-traversal-arbitrary)
- [pnpm virtual store linker path traversal via unvalidated depPath](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-82392-pnpm-virtual-store-linker-path-traversal-via-unvalidated-deppath)
- [pnpm path traversal via crafted lockfile alias](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-59196-pnpm-path-traversal-via-crafted-lockfile-alias)