CVE-2026-19589

Code execution via archive path traversal

Published Aug 17, 2026 · Updated Aug 17, 2026

Path traversal in the third-party plugin installer in HashiCorp Packer before 1.16.0 allows attackers to write files via crafted plugin archives. The GitHub plugin getter returned a release-supplied filename unchanged and joined it into temp and final install paths, so ../ sequences could escape the plugin directory and place a binary at an attacker-chosen writable path. Reachability requires a user to install a malicious or compromised third-party plugin release with packer init or packer plugins install, after which Packer can execute the written binary immediately during plugin inspection.

CVSS severity7.1
High
EPSS probability0.14%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path traversal in the third-party plugin installer in HashiCorp Packer before 1.16.0 allows attackers to write files via crafted plugin archives. The GitHub plugin getter returned a release-supplied filename unchanged and joined it into temp and final install paths, so ../ sequences could escape the plugin directory and place a binary at an attacker-chosen writable path. Reachability requires a user to install a malicious or compromised third-party plugin release with packer init or packer plugins install, after which Packer can execute the written binary immediately during plugin inspection.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-19589
Published
Aug 17, 2026
Updated
Aug 17, 2026
Vendor
HashiCorp
Product
Packer
Classifications
CWE-22, T1204.005
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 17, 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=1.7.0 <1.16.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

HashiCorp · Packerversion=1.7.0 <1.16.0

Published CVSS scores

7.1HashiCorp Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N

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.

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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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
T1204.005User Execution: Malicious Library

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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