Описание
@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node vulnerable to arbitrary code execution via MkDocs hooks
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:
- Use Docker mode with restricted access: Configure TechDocs with
runIn: dockerinstead ofrunIn: local. This provides container isolation, though it does not fully mitigate the risk. - Restrict repository access: Limit who can modify
mkdocs.ymlfiles in repositories that TechDocs processes. Only allow trusted contributors. - Manual review: Implement PR review requirements for changes to
mkdocs.ymlfiles to detect malicioushooksconfigurations before they are merged. - 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 MkDocs 1.4 Release Notes TechDocs Architecture
Пакеты
@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node
= 1.14.0
1.14.1
@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node
< 1.13.11
1.13.11
Связанные уязвимости
Backstage is an open framework for building developer portals, and @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node provides common node.js functionalities for TechDocs. In versions of @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node prior to 1.13.11 and 1.14.1, 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. @backstage/plugin-techdocs-node versions 1.13.11 and 1.14.1 contain a fix. 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. Users of `@techdocs/cli` should also upgrade to the latest version, which includes the fixed `@backstage/plugin-techdocs-node` dependency. Some workarounds are available. Configure TechDocs with `runIn: docker` instead of `runIn: