CVE-2026-0775

Local privilege escalation via unsecured module loading

Published Jan 23, 2026 · Updated Jan 23, 2026

Local privilege escalation in npm CLI 10.9.0 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as a target user through insecure module loading. The module-handling path loads code from an unsecured search location rather than restricting resolution to trusted locations. Exploitation requires low-privileged code execution and a higher-privileged target user to run the affected CLI; npm stated that the behavior is by design.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.29%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in npm CLI 10.9.0 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as a target user through insecure module loading. The module-handling path loads code from an unsecured search location rather than restricting resolution to trusted locations. Exploitation requires low-privileged code execution and a higher-privileged target user to run the affected CLI; npm stated that the behavior is by design.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-0775
Published
Jan 23, 2026
Updated
Jan 23, 2026
Vendor
npm
Product
npm CLI
Classifications
CWE-732, T1574
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 23, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 23, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.9.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

npm · npm CLIversion=10.9.0

Published CVSS scores

7.8Zero Day InitiativeCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1574Hijack Execution Flow

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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