CVE-2026-121748: nvm use --delete-prefix lets a project .npmrc choose which file npm rewrites or makes world-writable

Is it exploited?

Not on CISA's list. CISA has not added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as of 10 Nov 2026. If CISA adds it, this page shows it as known exploited.

How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?

0.1%

EPSS score, percentile 2.4 of all scored records. A probability estimated by FIRST, not a report of exploitation.

How severe?

1.8 Low

CVSS v4.0 base score, given by the CNA

What should I do?

Upgrade to nvm 0.41.0 or later.Solution from the CVE record.

CISA has set no required action, because the vulnerability is not in KEV.

Advisories and patches (2)

Which versions are affected?

Affected

• from 0.27.0 to before 0.41.0

Versions by product

Source: CISA KEV 2026.11.10, as of 10 Nov 2026; FIRST EPSS, as of 12 Nov 2026; CVE List, as of 12 Nov 2026. About the data.

Description

nvm use --delete-prefix lets a project .npmrc choose which file npm rewrites or makes world-writable

Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.27.0 through 0.40.8, when a project's `.npmrc` sets `prefix`, `nvm use` tells the user to run `nvm use --delete-prefix`, which runs `npm config delete prefix` and `npm config delete globalconfig` in the current directory without naming a config file. npm loads the project `.npmrc` before deciding which file to edit, so that file chooses the target: `userconfig=~/.bashrc` makes npm rewrite `~/.bashrc` as ini (corrupting it), and `location=global` with `globalconfig=` leaves the chosen file at mode 0666, which on a shared machine lets another local user write to it. The attacker (the author of a cloned repository or archive, or a local user who can write a shared parent directory) chooses the file but not the bytes written, and no project code runs. Version 0.41.0 no longer lets a project `.npmrc` select which config file `--delete-prefix` edits.

Source: CVE List, as of 12 Nov 2026. About the data.

What to do

Advisories and patches

• Fix commit 4049296c (Patch)
• GHSA-ccgf-7gv4-xg5h (Vendor advisory)

Workaround (from the CVE record)

Until upgrading, do not run `nvm use --delete-prefix` in an untrusted project directory; remove the `prefix` setting from your own npmrc files by hand instead.

This summary is based on the CVE record as of 12 Nov 2026. Check the vendor's advisory before you act: affected versions and fixes can change.

Affected products and versions

Source: CVE List, as of 12 Nov 2026. About the data.

Timeline