CVE-2026-105280

Hex writes unverified package tarballs to standard output in mix hex.package fetch

Published Oct 12, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 6.9 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Improper Validation of Integrity Check Value vulnerability in hexpm hex allows a package mirror to substitute the tarball that mix hex.package fetch PACKAGE VERSION --output - writes to standard output.

Hex compares a fetched tarball's inner and outer checksums with the repository's signed registry before writing it to a file or unpacking it. The standard output branch of mix hex.package fetch writes the bytes returned by Hex.SCM.fetch/3 without that comparison, and Hex.SCM.fetch/3 doesn't verify freshly downloaded tarballs itself. When a mirror configured with HEX_MIRROR_URL or mirror_url serves altered bytes, the command prints them and exits successfully, while the same fetch with --output FILE fails with a checksum mismatch.

Hex also prints diagnostics to standard output while the command runs: the body of a failed HTTP response from the update check or a registry fetch, and API warnings from the x-hex-message header. A mirror that answers one of those requests with an error whose body is a tar archive gets that archive written to standard output ahead of the verified tarball, so a pipeline that unpacks standard output extracts the mirror's files. This happens even when the checksum check then fails, because the archive is already on standard output.

This issue affects hex: from 0.20.2 before 2.5.2.

Remediation

Vendor Solution

Upgrade Hex to 2.5.2 or later, for example with mix local.hex. mix hex.package fetch PACKAGE VERSION --output - then verifies the registry checksum before writing the tarball to standard output and prints its messages to standard error.


Vendor Workaround

Write the tarball to a file with --output FILE, which verifies the checksums, and read that file instead of standard output.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Improper Validation of Integrity Check Value vulnerability in hexpm hex allows a package mirror to substitute the tarball that mix hex.package fetch PACKAGE VERSION --output - writes to standard output. Hex compares a fetched tarball's inner and outer checksums with the repository's signed registry before writing it to a file or unpacking it. The standard output branch of mix hex.package fetch writes the bytes returned by Hex.SCM.fetch/3 without that comparison, and Hex.SCM.fetch/3 doesn't verify freshly downloaded tarballs itself. When a mirror configured with HEX_MIRROR_URL or mirror_url serves altered bytes, the command prints them and exits successfully, while the same fetch with --output FILE fails with a checksum mismatch. Hex also prints diagnostics to standard output while the command runs: the body of a failed HTTP response from the update check or a registry fetch, and API warnings from the x-hex-message header. A mirror that answers one of those requests with an error whose body is a tar archive gets that archive written to standard output ahead of the verified tarball, so a pipeline that unpacks standard output extracts the mirror's files. This happens even when the checksum check then fails, because the archive is already on standard output. This issue affects hex: from 0.20.2 before 2.5.2.
Title Hex writes unverified package tarballs to standard output in mix hex.package fetch
First Time appeared Hexpm
Hexpm hex
Weaknesses CWE-354
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:hexpm:hex:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Hexpm
Hexpm hex
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 6.9, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:H/SA:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
EEF
Published
Updated
Nov 11, 2026, 2:03 PM
Reserved
Oct 8, 2026, 1:45 PM
Status
Deferred
Published
Oct 12, 2026, 4:17 PM
Modified
Nov 11, 2026, 3:17 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 12, 2026, 3:30 PM