pdm: Project-Local State and Config Writes Follow Symlinks
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Active
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · High · Low
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
pdm is a Python package and dependency manager supporting the latest PEP standards. In versions prior to 2.27.0, pdm writes several project-local state or configuration files without symlink protection. If a malicious repository places those files as symlinks, local PDM operations can overwrite the symlink targets. This creates an arbitrary file clobber primitive relative to the privileges of the invoking user. Config.__init__() resolves the project-local pdm.toml path and _save_config() writes to the resolved target. If PROJECT_ROOT/pdm.toml is a symlink to another file, pdm config -l ... updates the target file instead of refusing the write. The same general problem exists for other project-local persistence paths that are written directly with no lstat / O_NOFOLLOW protection. For the pdm.toml PoC specifically, the target file must already contain parseable TOML. Otherwise the load step fails before the write path is reached. That parser constraint does not apply to the .pdm-python or .python-version sinks. This issue has been fixed in version 2.27.0.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pdm-project | pdm | before 2.27.0 | 2.27.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | pdm (PyPI) | before 2.27.0 | 2.27.0 | Patch available | GHSA-ghq2-5c67-fprm |
- pdm Vendorpdm-project Affected before 2.27.0 Fixed in 2.27.0 Patch available CNA
- pdm (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.27.0 Fixed in 2.27.0 Patch available GHSA-ghq2-5c67-fprm
Remediation
- Fix · CNA pdm (pdm-project) Fixed in 2.27.0
- Fix · GHSA-ghq2-5c67-fprm pdm (PyPI) Fixed in 2.27.0 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-47763
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-ghq2-5c67-fprm
References
More pdm-project vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-35274 pdm: Project-Controlled `.pdm-plugins` Content Executes Before CLI Parsing CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.4
- TI-2026-35261 pdm: Path traversal in wheel installation via overridden write_to_fs CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-47763 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-47763 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-ghq2-5c67-fprm · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-47763 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences