CVE-2026-23968 - Copier safe template has arbitrary filesystem read access via symlinks when _preserve_symlinks: false

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MEDIUM

Copier safe template has arbitrary filesystem read access via symlinks when _preserve_symlinks: false

Published Jan 21, 2026

6.8

MEDIUM

CVSS 4.0

EPSS 0.24%

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.

Affected products

Vendor Copier-Org Product Copier Default
n/a
- Version
  < 9.11.2
  Status
  affected
  Constraints
  -

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor

Product

Default status

Versions

Copier-Org

Copier

n/a

Version	Status	Constraints
< 9.11.2	affected	-

Remediation

No remediation recorded yet.

Weaknesses (1)

CWE-61

References (5)

https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2026-4142
Advisory
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xjhm-gp88-8pfx
Advisory
https://github.com/copier-org/copier/commit/b3a7b3772d17cf0e7a4481978188c9f536c8d8f6
x_refsource_MISCPatch
https://github.com/copier-org/copier/security/advisories/GHSA-xjhm-gp88-8pfx
x_refsource_CONFIRMExploitThird Party Advisory
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23968

Link	Providers	Tags
https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2026-4142		Advisory
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xjhm-gp88-8pfx		Advisory
https://github.com/copier-org/copier/commit/b3a7b3772d17cf0e7a4481978188c9f536c8d8f6		x_refsource_MISCPatch
https://github.com/copier-org/copier/security/advisories/GHSA-xjhm-gp88-8pfx		x_refsource_CONFIRMExploitThird Party Advisory
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23968