pnpm, prior to version 10.28.2, copies the contents of files pointed to by symlinks in file: and git: dependencies without restricting them to the package root. A malicious package that includes a symlink to an absolute path such as /etc/passwd or ~/.ssh/id_rsa causes pnpm to copy that local data into node_modules, leaking sensitive information. The weakness is a path traversal/remote file inclusion based on CWE-22 and CWE-59. While the vulnerability only affects dependency installation, it can compromise confidentiality and potentially expose credential files, configuration files, and other sensitive material on the building host.

pnpm: pnpm packages running any version before 10.28.2 are affected. The issue is triggered when installing local file: or git: dependencies. Packages sourced from public registries are not impacted because the publish process strips symlinks.

The CVSS score of 6.7 indicates moderate severity. Exploitation requires an attacker to supply a malicious package containing a crafted symlink, a scenario that is possible in developer workspaces or CI/CD pipelines that install dependencies from untrusted sources. The EPSS score of <1% shows a low probability of real‑world exploitation, and the vulnerability is not listed in the KEV catalog. Because the attack vector involves local code execution during installation, the overall risk is contained to environments that use the vulnerable pnpm version and trust local package sources. Nonetheless, a breach can lead to credential theft and unwarranted access if sensitive files are exposed.