CVE-2025-13437

When zx is invoked with --prefer-local=<path>, the CLI creates a symlink named ./node_modules pointing to <path>/node_modules. Due to a logic error in src/cli.ts (linkNodeModules / cleanup), the function returns the target path instead of the alias (symlink path). The later cleanup routine removes what it received, which deletes the target directory itself. Result: zx can delete an external <path>/node_modules outside the current working directory.

CVSS 4.0

5.6CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:H/SA:H/E:U

EPSS

0.09% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days; higher than 0% of CVEs (scores of 2026-10-25)

CWE

CWE-706

Published

2025-11-20

Modified

2026-10-18

Record from

the NVD, synced 2026-10-19

Packages (OSV)

References

• https://github.com/google/zx/issues/1348

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