CVE-2021-32662
TechDocs mkdocs.yml path traversal
Backstage is an open platform for building developer portals, and techdocs-common contains common functionalities for Backstage's TechDocs. In @backstage/techdocs-common versions prior to 0.6.3, a malicious actor could read sensitive files from the environment where TechDocs documentation is built and published by setting a particular path for docs_dir in mkdocs.yml. These files would then be available over the TechDocs backend API. This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker would need access to modify the mkdocs.yml in the documentation source code, and would also need access to the TechDocs backend API. The vulnerability is patched in the 0.6.3 release of @backstage/techdocs-common.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
TechDocs mkdocs.yml path traversal
Backstage is an open platform for building developer portals, and techdocs-common contains common functionalities for Backstage's TechDocs. In @backstage/techdocs-common versions prior to 0.6.3, a malicious actor could read sensitive files from the environment where TechDocs documentation is built and published by setting a particular path for docs_dir in mkdocs.yml. These files would then be available over the TechDocs backend API. This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker would need access to modify the mkdocs.yml in the documentation source code, and would also need access to the TechDocs backend API. The vulnerability is patched in the 0.6.3 release of @backstage/techdocs-common.
- Record
CVE-2021-32662- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-1371
Backstage is an open platform for building developer portals, and techdocs-common contains common functionalities for Backstage's TechDocs. In @backstage/techdocs-common versions prior to 0.6.3, a malicious actor could read sensitive files from the environment where TechDocs documentation is built and published by setting a particular path for docs_dir in mkdocs.yml. These files would then be available over the TechDocs backend API. This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker would need access to modify the mkdocs.yml in the documentation source code, and would also need access to the TechDocs backend API. The vulnerability is patched in the 0.6.3 release of @backstage/techdocs-common.
- Record
EUVD-2021-1371- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-pgf8-28gg-vpr6
Path traversal
Impact
A malicious actor could read sensitive files from the environment where TechDocs documentation is built and published by setting a particular path for docs_dir in mkdocs.yml. These files would then be available over the TechDocs backend API.
This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker would need access to modify the mkdocs.yml in the documentation source code, and would also need access to the TechDocs backend API.
Patches
The vulnerability is patched in the 0.6.3 release of @backstage/techdocs-common.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the Backstage repository
- Visit our chat, linked to in Backstage README
- Record
GHSA-pgf8-28gg-vpr6- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
Backstage is an open platform for building developer portals, and techdocs-common contains common functionalities for Backstage's TechDocs. In @backstage/techdocs-common versions prior to 0.6.3, a malicious actor could read sensitive files from the environment where TechDocs documentation is built and published by setting a particular path for docs_dir in mkdocs.yml. These files would then be available over the TechDocs backend API. This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker would need access to modify the mkdocs.yml in the documentation source code, and would also need access to the TechDocs backend API. The vulnerability is patched in the 0.6.3 release of @backstage/techdocs-common.
- Record
CVE-2021-32662- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 3.5 Low
AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Backstage is an open platform for building developer portals, and techdocs-common contains common functionalities for Backstage's TechDocs. In @backstage/techdocs-common versions prior to 0.6.3, a malicious actor could read sensitive files from the environment where TechDocs documentation is built and published by setting a particular path for docs_dir in mkdocs.yml. These files would then be available over the TechDocs backend API. This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker would need access to modify the mkdocs.yml in the documentation source code, and would also need access to the TechDocs backend API. The vulnerability is patched in the 0.6.3 release of @backstage/techdocs-common.
- Record
CVE-2021-32662- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-pgf8-28gg-vpr6
Path traversal
Impact
A malicious actor could read sensitive files from the environment where TechDocs documentation is built and published by setting a particular path for docs_dir in mkdocs.yml. These files would then be available over the TechDocs backend API.
This vulnerability is mitigated by the fact that an attacker would need access to modify the mkdocs.yml in the documentation source code, and would also need access to the TechDocs backend API.
Patches
The vulnerability is patched in the 0.6.3 release of @backstage/techdocs-common.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the Backstage repository
- Visit our chat, linked to in Backstage README
- Record
GHSA-pgf8-28gg-vpr6- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
@backstage/techdocs-commonnpm |
before 0.6.3 | 0.6.3 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-32662 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Backstage, published June 3, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.28%, the 70th percentile. Fixed in @backstage/techdocs-common 0.6.3.