CVE-2025-13437 MEDIUM

CVE-2025-13437: Arbitrary node_modules Directory Deletion in Google zx

Vendor Google
Product zx
Weakness CWE-706
Published November 20, 2025
Last update November 20, 2025

CVSS base score

5.6/10
Attack vector Local
Attack complexity Low
Privileges required None
User interaction
Confidentiality
Integrity

CVSS vector

CVSS: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

What the vulnerability does

01Description

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.

Key dates

02Disclosure timeline

November 20, 2025 CVE published
November 20, 2025 Record updated