CVE-2026-23968
Copier safe template has arbitrary filesystem read access via symlinks when _preserve_symlinks: false
Description
Copier is a library and CLI app for rendering project templates. Prior to version 9.11.2, Copier suggests that it's safe to generate a project from a safe template, i.e. one that doesn't use unsafe features like custom Jinja extensions which would require passing the `--UNSAFE,--trust` flag. As it turns out, a safe template can currently include arbitrary files/directories outside the local template clone location by using symlinks along with `_preserve_symlinks: false` (which is Copier's default setting). Version 9.11.2 patches the issue.
INFO
Published Date :
Jan. 21, 2026, 11:15 p.m.
Last Modified :
Jan. 21, 2026, 11:15 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-23968
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Copier to version 9.11.2 or later.
- Ensure templates do not use unsafe features.
- Review symlink usage in templates.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-23968.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/copier-org/copier/commit/b3a7b3772d17cf0e7a4481978188c9f536c8d8f6 | |
| https://github.com/copier-org/copier/security/advisories/GHSA-xjhm-gp88-8pfx |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-23968 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-23968
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-23968 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-23968 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jan. 21, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description Copier is a library and CLI app for rendering project templates. Prior to version 9.11.2, Copier suggests that it's safe to generate a project from a safe template, i.e. one that doesn't use unsafe features like custom Jinja extensions which would require passing the `--UNSAFE,--trust` flag. As it turns out, a safe template can currently include arbitrary files/directories outside the local template clone location by using symlinks along with `_preserve_symlinks: false` (which is Copier's default setting). Version 9.11.2 patches the issue. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CWE CWE-61 Added Reference https://github.com/copier-org/copier/commit/b3a7b3772d17cf0e7a4481978188c9f536c8d8f6 Added Reference https://github.com/copier-org/copier/security/advisories/GHSA-xjhm-gp88-8pfx