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HIGH7.7

GHSA-6jr7-99pf-8vgf

@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node vulnerable to arbitrary code execution via MkDocs hooks

Quick fix

GHSA-6jr7-99pf-8vgf — @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node: upgrade to the fixed version with the command below.

npm install @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node@1.14.1

Details

### Impact

When TechDocs is configured with `runIn: local`, a malicious actor who can submit or modify a repository's `mkdocs.yml` file can execute arbitrary Python code on the TechDocs build server via MkDocs hooks configuration.

### Patches

Upgrade to `@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node` version 1.13.11, 1.14.1 or later. The fix introduces an allowlist of supported MkDocs configuration keys. Unsupported configuration keys (including `hooks`) are now removed from `mkdocs.yml` before running the generator, with a warning logged to indicate which keys were removed.

**Note**: Users of `@techdocs/cli` should also upgrade to the latest version, which includes the fixed `@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node` dependency.

### Workarounds

If you cannot upgrade immediately:

1. Use Docker mode with restricted access: Configure TechDocs with `runIn: docker` instead of `runIn: local`. This provides container isolation, though it does not fully mitigate the risk. 2. Restrict repository access: Limit who can modify `mkdocs.yml` files in repositories that TechDocs processes. Only allow trusted contributors. 3. Manual review: Implement PR review requirements for changes to `mkdocs.yml` files to detect malicious `hooks` configurations before they are merged. 4. Downgrade MkDocs: Use MkDocs < 1.4.0 (e.g., 1.3.1) which does not support hooks. Note: This may limit access to newer MkDocs features.

**Note**: Building documentation in CI/CD pipelines using `@techdocs/cli` does not mitigate this vulnerability, as the CLI uses the same vulnerable `@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node` package.

### References

[MkDocs Hooks Documentation](https://www.mkdocs.org/user-guide/configuration/#hooks) [MkDocs 1.4 Release Notes](https://www.mkdocs.org/about/release-notes/#version-14-2022-09-27) [TechDocs Architecture](https://backstage.io/docs/features/techdocs/architecture)

Are you affected?

Enter the version of the package you're using.

Affected packages

npm/@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node
Introduced in: 1.14.0Fixed in: 1.14.1
Fixnpm install @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node@1.14.1
npm/@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node
Introduced in: 0Fixed in: 1.13.11
Fixnpm install @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node@1.13.11

References