Description
Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.31.2 through 0.40.5, `nvm_ls` filters installed versions with a sed program that embeds the requested version pattern in a `\#...#` address, escaping `.` (and, since 0.40.4, `#`) but not backslash. A version string containing `#` (or `\#`) therefore closes the address early, and the rest of it is parsed as sed commands: with GNU sed, the `e` command runs a shell command as the user; with BSD sed, the `w` and `r` commands write and read files. This is reachable whenever an attacker-influenced version string is passed to `nvm use`, `nvm which`, `nvm ls`, `nvm version`, `nvm run`, or `nvm exec`, or to `nvm-exec` via `NODE_VERSION`, and at least one version is installed. nvm's own `.nvmrc` parser strips comments, so a bare `nvm use` is not affected; however, the bash `cdnvm` and zsh `load-nvmrc` auto-switch hooks documented in the README read `.nvmrc` as-is and pass it to `nvm ls` and `nvm version`, so a user with one of those hooks installed runs the attacker's command just by changing into a directory under a malicious `.nvmrc`; scripts that run `nvm use "$(cat .nvmrc)"` are affected the same way. Version 0.40.6 passes any version pattern containing `#` or a newline through the `.nvmrc` content parser first, so no `#` reaches the sed program.
Published: 2026-10-29
Score: 7.1 High
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
AI Analysis

Analysis and contextual insights are available on OpenCVE Cloud.

Remediation

Vendor Solution

Upgrade to nvm 0.40.6 or later.


Vendor Workaround

Until upgrading, do not pass untrusted version strings to nvm, and use nvm's own `.nvmrc` handling (a bare `nvm use`) instead of reading `.nvmrc` yourself, including in shell auto-switch hooks.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 06:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Nvm-sh
Nvm-sh nvm
Vendors & Products Nvm-sh
Nvm-sh nvm

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.31.2 through 0.40.5, `nvm_ls` filters installed versions with a sed program that embeds the requested version pattern in a `\#...#` address, escaping `.` (and, since 0.40.4, `#`) but not backslash. A version string containing `#` (or `\#`) therefore closes the address early, and the rest of it is parsed as sed commands: with GNU sed, the `e` command runs a shell command as the user; with BSD sed, the `w` and `r` commands write and read files. This is reachable whenever an attacker-influenced version string is passed to `nvm use`, `nvm which`, `nvm ls`, `nvm version`, `nvm run`, or `nvm exec`, or to `nvm-exec` via `NODE_VERSION`, and at least one version is installed. nvm's own `.nvmrc` parser strips comments, so a bare `nvm use` is not affected; however, the bash `cdnvm` and zsh `load-nvmrc` auto-switch hooks documented in the README read `.nvmrc` as-is and pass it to `nvm ls` and `nvm version`, so a user with one of those hooks installed runs the attacker's command just by changing into a directory under a malicious `.nvmrc`; scripts that run `nvm use "$(cat .nvmrc)"` are affected the same way. Version 0.40.6 passes any version pattern containing `#` or a newline through the `.nvmrc` content parser first, so no `#` reaches the sed program.
Title nvm_ls lets an untrusted version string inject sed commands, executing arbitrary commands with GNU sed
Weaknesses CWE-78
CWE-94
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 7.1, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: harborist

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-29T05:22:35.156Z

Reserved: 2026-10-29T05:21:07.784Z

Link: CVE-2026-118905

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-10-29T06:17:20.343

Modified: 2026-10-29T06:17:20.343

Link: CVE-2026-118905

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-29T06:45:07Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-78

    Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

  • CWE-94

    Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')