backstage: Untrusted Search Path
CVE-2026-106505 is a high-severity untrusted search path vulnerability in backstage, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected backstage versions: < 1.50.5; >= 1.51.0-next.0, < 1.54.6. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.31% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Backstage Plugin-techdocs-node to 1.14.6 or 1.15.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backstage | backstage | < 1.50.5; >= 1.51.0-next.0, < 1.54.6 | Not stated |
| @backstage | plugin-techdocs-node | < 1.14.6; >= 1.15.0, < 1.15.4 | Not stated |
| Linux Foundation | Backstage Plugin-techdocs-node | before 1.14.6; 1.15.0 up to, but not including, 1.15.4 | 1.14.6, 1.15.4 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- HighSuccess depends on conditions outside the attacker's control.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.7 | High | CNA (github.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.5 | High | NVD |
Official description
Backstage is an open framework for building developer portals. Prior to 1.14.6 and 1.15.4, the @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node package is affected by bypass of mkdocs configuration sanitizer in techdocs backend. Users with the ability to commit changes to a repository that uses TechDocs can circumvent the MkDocs configuration file sanitizer introduced in response to CVE-2026-25153 and execute arbitrary code on the TechDocs backend host during documentation generation. This issue is fixed in versions 1.14.6 and 1.15.4.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Untrusted Search Path
The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
- When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
- Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in backstage
- 7.7 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.7 High severity
- 7.7 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
Recent Untrusted Search Path vulnerabilities
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
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