CVE-2026-121750nvm-sh nvm incomplete cleanup
CVE-2026-121750 is a incomplete cleanup in nvm-sh nvm, rated low (2.1 on CVSS 4.0).
Why this priority: Low severity, with no exploitation signal.
Published · Updated · NVD status: Awaiting Analysis
What it is
Temporary files or resources are left behind where others can find them. Code or updates are downloaded and run without checking they are genuine.
How it is reached
An attacker can exploit it over the network, without an account, but someone has to act first, such as opening a file or following a link. Success also depends on conditions the attacker does not fully control.
What an attacker gains
The direct impact is limited: partial access to data or a partial outage. In practice, this kind of flaw lets an attacker learn data or internals that help a follow-up attack.
Is it being exploited?
There is no public report of exploitation yet. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 4% of scored CVEs.
What to do
- Upgrade nvm-sh nvm to 0.41.0 or later.
- Until it is patched, keep it off the internet or behind a VPN, allowlist or authenticating proxy.
- Warn the people who use it, and filter files and links on the way in.
Description from NVD
Node Version Manager (nvm) is a POSIX-compliant shell function for managing multiple node.js versions. In versions 0.40.5 through 0.40.8, `nvm_download_artifact` downloads a release archive directly to its final path in `$NVM_DIR/.cache` and verifies its checksum afterwards; on a checksum mismatch it reports an error but leaves the rejected archive in place. A later `nvm install --offline` of the same version installs that cached file without a checksum, so an archive that was just rejected gets installed and its `node` and `npm` run. This gives code execution to a party who can alter the downloaded tarball (for example a poisoned CDN or cache object) but cannot also forge the `SHASUMS256.txt` beside it, if the victim runs `nvm install --offline` for that version after the visible "Checksums do not match" failure and before any online retry. Version 0.41.0 only puts an archive in the cache once its checksum has passed.
What this means for your architecture.
A CVE names a product. Whether it matters depends on where that product sits in your systems: what reaches it, which trust boundary it guards and what it can reach once compromised. Veriom maps your components, their relationships and your trust boundaries from your code, cloud and delivery evidence, so you can see where a component like this sits. The radar itself does not look at your systems.
Components it touches
- Error responses, logs and debug endpoints. The flaw sits between internal data and whoever can read the response or log.
- APIs that over-share. The flaw sits between internal data and whoever can read the response or log.
- Build pipelines, dependencies and plugins. The flaw sits between third-party code and your build or runtime.
- Update channels. The flaw sits between third-party code and your build or runtime.
Trust boundaries in play
- Internet-facing entry points. No account is needed. Any instance reachable from outside your perimeter, through a load balancer, gateway, VPN or exposed admin port, is in scope.
- People who open files and links. Mail, chat and browsers are the delivery path.
- Between internal data and whoever can read the response or log. An attacker who crosses it can learn data or internals that help a follow-up attack.
- Between third-party code and your build or runtime. An attacker who crosses it can run their code inside your build or your running service.
Questions to answer about your own systems
- Where does nvm-sh nvm run in your systems, and at which version?
- Which of those instances can be reached from the internet or partner networks?
- What can it reach once compromised: which data stores, secrets and services?
Read more
Sources
- CVE records and CVSS scores from the NVD CVE API. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- Exploitation status from CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
- Exploit likelihood from FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), refreshed daily.
- Explanations are written by Veriom from fixed templates over each record’s data, not by a person reviewing each CVE. Descriptions are quoted from the records as published.