cookpete auto-changelog up to 2.6.0 Configuration package.json require argument injection

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in cookpete auto-changelog up to 2.6.0 and classified as critical. This issue affects the function require of the file package.json of the component Configuration. Such manipulation of the argument handlebarsSetup/plugins/appendGitLog/appendGitTag/output/template leads to argument injection. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2026-12171. The attack may be performed from remote. There is no available exploit. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in cookpete auto-changelog up to 2.6.0. It has been rated as critical. Affected by this issue is the function require of the file package.json of the component Configuration. The manipulation of the argument handlebarsSetup/plugins/appendGitLog/appendGitTag/output/template with an unknown input leads to a argument injection vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-88. The product constructs a string for a command to be executed by a separate component in another control sphere, but it does not properly delimit the intended arguments, options, or switches within that command string. Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

auto-changelog before 2.6.1 merges configuration from inside the target repository (the .auto-changelog file and the auto-changelog key in package.json) into its options, and honors security-sensitive options from that untrusted source. The handlebarsSetup option is passed to require(), so running auto-changelog over attacker-controlled repository content (for example, in a CI workflow that checks out an untrusted pull request head, or locally on a forked or third-party repository) executes attacker-chosen code with the privileges of the invoking user or CI job, including access to workflow secrets, without the repository dependencies ever being installed. The plugins option similarly loads attacker-controlled modules from the repository. Under the same conditions, appendGitLog/appendGitTag allow git argument injection (e.g. --output= to write arbitrary files), output allows writing attacker-influenced content to arbitrary paths, and template causes an outbound request to an attacker-chosen URL. Version 2.6.1 treats in-repository configuration as untrusted and refuses to run when it sets these options, unless the new --unsafe-config flag is passed.

The advisory is shared for download at github.com. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2026-12171 since 06/12/2026. The exploitation is known to be easy. The attack may be launched remotely. No form of authentication is required for exploitation. Successful exploitation requires user interaction by the victim. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The MITRE ATT&CK project declares the attack technique as T1059.

By approaching the search of inurl:package.json it is possible to find vulnerable targets with Google Hacking.

Upgrading to version 2.6.1 eliminates this vulnerability.

VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.

Productinfo

Vendor

• cookpete

Name

• auto-changelog

Version

• 2.0
• 2.1
• 2.2
• 2.3
• 2.4
• 2.5
• 2.6.0

Website

• Product: https://github.com/cookpete/auto-changelog/

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