High · published January 2, 2026
⚡ An admin's bad day! Versions of Signal K Server before 2.19.0 let users install npm packages from anywhere, including potentially malicious sources! 🔥 Picture a ship's supply room where the captain can order anything online without checking its origins. If someone decides to deliver a Trojan horse instead of food supplies, the whole crew is in for a big surprise! An attacker with admin access could sneak in a malicious npm package, installing their own code that executes quietly in the background. The potential consequences? Data theft, system control, or even full server compromise! It's a nightmare scenario for any boat owner.
Picture a ship's supply room where the captain can order anything online without checking its origins. If someone decides to deliver a Trojan horse instead of food supplies, the whole crew is in for a big surprise! This vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit the flexible npm version specifier in Signal K Server, which passes parameters directly to npm without any sanitization. This means a malicious actor could run arbitrary code by installing a package containing harmful scripts via a simple API call.
An attacker with admin access could sneak in a malicious npm package, installing their own code that executes quietly in the background. The potential consequences? Data theft, system control, or even full server compromise! It's a nightmare scenario for any boat owner. Immediately upgrade Signal K Server to version 2.19.0 to patch this vulnerability. Regularly audit your npm packages for security and ensure that only trusted admins have installation permissions. Consider implementing stricter validation for package sources! You've got this! By following these steps, you can keep your boat's systems secure and sailing smoothly! 🛡️
| Product | Versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| signalk/signal_k_server | < 2.19.0 | 2.19.0 |
| signalk/signal_k_server | all versions | — |
| signalk/signal_k_server | all versions | — |
| signalk/signal_k_server | all versions | — |
| signalk/signal_k_server | all versions | — |