CVE-2026-41693CWE-22CWE-73

i18next-fs-backend: Path traversal via unsanitised lng/ns allows arbitrary file read/overwrite

High · published May 8, 2026

CVSS v3.1
8.2
EPSS
0%
Percentile
36.0
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

i18next-fs-backend is a backend layer for i18next using in Node.js and for Deno to load translations from the filesystem. Prior to version 2.6.4, i18next-fs-backend substitutes the lng and ns options directly into the configured loadPath / addPath templates and then read / write the resulting file from disk. The interpolation is unencoded and unvalidated, so a crafted lng or ns value — containing .., a path separator, a control character, a prototype key, or simply an unexpectedly long string — allows an attacker who can influence either value to read or overwrite files outside the intended locale directory. When lng / ns are derived from untrusted input (request-scoped i18next instances behind an HTTP layer such as i18next-http-middleware, or any framework that lets the end user pick the language via query string, cookie, or header), a single request such as ?lng=../../../../etc/passwd causes the backend to attempt to read that path. This issue has been patched in version 2.6.4.

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
8.2 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00428 · 36.0th percentile
Weaknesses
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'); CWE-73 · External Control of File Name or Path
Published
2026-05-08T15:38Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 08 MAY 15:38Z
    i18next-fs-backend: Path traversal via unsanitised lng/ns allows arbitrary file read/overwrite
    cvelistv5