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Response snapshot Oct 31, 2026, 01:26 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-118773

Glob: AbortSignal cancellation bypass allows post-timeout filesystem traversal

In glob 13.0.6, an aborted async walk rejects or emits an error but continues recursively reading directories in the background. The root cause is that abort branches in src/walker.ts call cb() without returning. As a result, callers that rely on signal or AbortSignal.

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
6.3 Medium (CVSS 4.0)
Chance of exploitation
Not estimated
Sources
1 source

What to do

GitHub lists first patched versions: glob: 14.0.2. Confirm the affected range and upgrade guidance in the exact advisory.

Read GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-3g3m-2fjr-6pw4 (opens a new tab)

What happened

Summary

In glob 13.0.6, an aborted async walk rejects or emits an error but continues recursively reading directories in the background.

The root cause is that abort branches in src/walker.ts call cb() without returning. As a result, callers that rely on signal or AbortSignal.timeout() to bound glob traversal cost can still incur filesystem I/O and CPU work after the request has already been rejected.

Details

Continue reading

This was reproduced on glob v13.0.6 (commit e80cb38ae60d6cbff9e75f39032a994858994d35).

The README documents that the signal option cancels the glob walk. However, in src/walker.ts, the following methods call cb() when this.signal?.aborted is true but do not return:

- GlobUtil.walkCB() - GlobUtil.walkCB2() - GlobUtil.walkCBSync() - GlobUtil.walkCB2Sync()

Example vulnerable pattern:

if (this.signal?.aborted) cb()

Because execution continues after cb(), the walker still reaches processor.processPatterns(), readdirCB(), and recursive walkCB2() calls.

The issue was directly demonstrated against v13.0.6. A source-history review shows the same missing-return pattern is present in tagged releases from v9.0.0 through v13.0.6.

The issue affects both glob() and globStream().

Recommended fix: Change each abort branch to return immediately:

if (this.signal?.aborted) return cb()

Proof of concept

Environment: - Linux x86_64 - Node.js v22.23.3 - npm 10.9.9 - glob 13.0.6

Reproduction steps:

1. Install the affected package: npm init -y npm install glob@13.0.6

2. Run the attached PoC: node poc/abort-continues-work.mjs

The PoC aborts after the first readdir() call, waits briefly, and counts how many more directory reads happen after the promise has already rejected.

Observed output on the vulnerable version:

{ "rejection": "Error: probe-abort", "readdirCalls": 1365, "readdirCallsAtReject": 5, "readdirCallsAfterReject": 1360 }

Expected behavior: readdirCallsAfterReject should be 0.

A second PoC using AbortSignal.timeout() also reproduces the issue:

{ "rejection": "TimeoutError: The operation was aborted due to timeout", "readdirCalls": 133, "readdirCallsAtReject": 1, "readdirCallsAfterReject": 132 }

The same test against a patched build with return cb() in the four abort branches stops immediately:

{ "readdirCalls": 1, "readdirCallsAtReject": 1, "readdirCallsAfterReject": 0 }

Impact

This is an availability issue.

Applications that expose globbing over attacker-influenced patterns or attacker-controlled directory trees and use AbortSignal / AbortSignal.timeout() as a traversal budget can still perform significant filesystem I/O and CPU work after a request has already timed out or been canceled.

Repeated timed-out requests can stack background glob walks and degrade worker throughput or service availability.

No confidentiality or integrity impact was observed.

Affected package ranges reported by GitHub: glob: >= 9.0.0, <= 14.0.1

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

6.3

Version 4.0As of

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

Not available

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-3g3m-2fjr-6pw4 (opens a new tab)

    The public advisory supplies the description, affected package/version ranges, and any listed CVSS metric. GitHub review is not local review.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-3g3m-2fjr-6pw4, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Glob: AbortSignal cancellation bypass allows post-timeout filesystem traversal (CVE-2026-118773). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-118773

MLA

"Glob: AbortSignal cancellation bypass allows post-timeout filesystem traversal (CVE-2026-118773)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-118773.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Glob: AbortSignal cancellation bypass allows post-timeout filesystem traversal (CVE-2026-118773)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-118773.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Glob: AbortSignal cancellation bypass allows post-timeout filesystem traversal (Oct 30, 2026).
In glob 13.0.6, an aborted async walk rejects or emits an error but continues recursively reading directories in the background.

The root cause is that abort branches in src/walker.ts call cb() without returning. As a result, callers that rely on signal or AbortSignal.timeout() to bound glob traversal cost can still incur filesystem I/O and CPU work after the request has already been rejected.

This was reproduced on glob v13.0.6 (commit e80cb38ae60d6cbff9e75f39032a994858994d35).

The README documents that the signal option cancels the glob walk.
CVSS 6.3 (version 4.0; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3g3m-2fjr-6pw4).
Sources:
GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-3g3m-2fjr-6pw4: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3g3m-2fjr-6pw4
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc
Record ID: CVE-2026-118773.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 31, 2026, 00:50 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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