How severe is CVE-2023-37478?

CVE-2023-37478 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-37478 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-37478?

CVE-2023-37478 affects Pnpm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-37478?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2023-37478 published?

CVE-2023-37478 was published on 2023-08-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-37478

CVE-2023-37478 is a high-severity vulnerability in Pnpm with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-284.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (57th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-284
Affected product: Pnpm
Published: 2023-08-01
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

pnpm is a package manager. It is possible to construct a tarball that, when installed via npm or parsed by the registry is safe, but when installed via pnpm is malicious, due to how pnpm parses tar archives. This can result in a package that appears safe on the npm registry or when installed via npm being replaced with a compromised or malicious version when installed via pnpm. This issue has been patched in version(s) 7.33.4 and 8.6.8.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-37478?: pnpm is a package manager. It is possible to construct a tarball that, when installed via npm or parsed by the registry is safe, but when installed via pnpm is malicious, due to how pnpm parses tar archives. This can result in a package that appears safe on the npm registry or when installed via npm being replaced with a compromised or malicious version when installed via pnpm. This issue has been patched in version(s) 7.33.4 and 8.6.8.
How severe is CVE-2023-37478?: CVE-2023-37478 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-37478 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-37478?: CVE-2023-37478 affects Pnpm. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-37478?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-37478 published?: CVE-2023-37478 was published on 2023-08-01 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:pnpm:pnpm:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

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