CVE-2026-55086Etherpad: Import/export use Math.random() for temp file paths; predictable paths on shared /tmp enable symlink-based file overwrite
- 4.2MediumCVSS base score
- 0.14%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 97% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- YesPublic exploitsa reference or SSVC says so
Description
Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor. Prior to 3.1.0, src/node/handler/ImportHandler.ts and src/node/handler/ExportHandler.ts derive temporary filenames from Math.random() and place them in os.tmpdir(). On a host with a shared world-writable temporary directory, a local unprivileged attacker who predicts a filename can precreate a symbolic link to a file writable by the Etherpad process. Subsequent import or export operations can follow the link through fs.writeFile, fs.rename, or document-conversion output and overwrite the target with partially attacker-controlled content. This issue is fixed in version 3.1.0.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. A reference of the record is tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: a proof of concept is public.
Show the exploits1
References tagged exploit1 reference
- https://github.com/ether/etherpad/security/advisories/GHSA-2jwf-f4xq-f24h (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMexploit
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 2 months later
· 2 months later
Published
- 6 days later
· 6 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Medium4.2 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Deferred | 3.1 | Medium4.2 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.14% · top 97% of all CVEs (15 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 4.2.
Affected products
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- npmep_etherpad-liteGHSA-2jwf-f4xq-f24h (opens in a new tab)
References
References4
- https://github.com/ether/etherpad/security/advisories/GHSA-2jwf-f4xq-f24h (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMexploit
- https://github.com/ether/etherpad/pull/7784 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/ether/etherpad/commit/8c6104c5d5daf41f0d454acc04d42dffa0e0d996 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/ether/etherpad/releases/tag/v3.1.0 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISC
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-62741 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-2jwf-f4xq-f24h (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-55086)Record last updated .