Local Privilege Escalation in npm CLI via Incorrect Permissions

Publication date: 2026-01-23

Last updated on: 2026-06-30

Assigner: Zero Day Initiative

Description

npm cli Incorrect Permission Assignment Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of npm cli. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of modules. The application loads modules from an unsecured location. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of a target user. Was ZDI-CAN-25430.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-01-23

Last Modified

2026-06-30

Generated

2026-07-06

AI Q&A

2026-01-23

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-05

NVD

CVE-2026-0775

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
npm	cli	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-732	The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

CVE-2026-0775 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the npm CLI caused by incorrect permission assignment during module handling. The npm CLI loads modules from an unsecured location, which allows an attacker who already has the ability to execute low-privileged code on the system to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted user. [1]

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can allow an attacker who has limited access to your system to escalate their privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access and executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the targeted user. This could lead to unauthorized actions, data compromise, or further system exploitation. [1]

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure that you restrict the ability to execute low-privileged code on your system, as exploitation requires such access. Additionally, update the npm CLI to the latest version where this vulnerability is fixed or apply any vendor-provided patches. Review and correct permission assignments related to module handling to prevent loading modules from unsecured locations. [1]

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