CVE-2023-39956: Electron: Out-of-package code execution when launched with arbitrary cwd
First published: Wed Sep 06 2023(Updated: )
### Impact Apps that are launched as command line executables are impacted. E.g. if your app exposes itself in the path as `myapp --help` Specifically this issue can only be exploited if the following conditions are met: * Your app is launched with an attacker-controlled working directory * The attacker has the ability to write files to that working directory This makes the risk quite low, in fact normally issues of this kind are considered outside of our threat model as similar to Chromium we exclude [Physically Local Attacks](https://github.com/electron/electron/security/advisories/GHSA-7x97-j373-85x5#:~:text=Physically%20Local%20Attacks) but given the ability for this issue to bypass certain protections like ASAR Integrity it is being treated with higher importance. Please bear this in mind when reporting similar issues in the future. ### Workarounds There are no app side workarounds, you must update to a patched version of Electron. ### Fixed Versions * `26.0.0-beta.13` * `25.5.0` * `24.7.1` * `23.3.13` * `22.3.19` ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, email us at [security@electronjs.org](mailto:security@electronjs.org)
Credit: security-advisories@github.com security-advisories@github.com security-advisories@github.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| npm/electron | >=26.0.0-alpha.1<26.0.0-beta.13 | 26.0.0-beta.13 |
| npm/electron | >=25.0.0-alpha.1<25.5.0 | 25.5.0 |
| npm/electron | >=24.0.0-alpha.1<24.7.1 | 24.7.1 |
| npm/electron | >=23.0.0-alpha.1<23.3.13 | 23.3.13 |
| npm/electron | <22.3.19 | 22.3.19 |
| Electronjs Electron | <22.3.9 | |
| Electronjs Electron | >=23.0.0<23.3.13 | |
| Electronjs Electron | >=24.0.0<24.7.1 | |
| Electronjs Electron | >=25.0.0<25.5.0 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha1 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha2 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha3 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha4 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha5 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha6 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha7 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-alpha8 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta1 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta10 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta11 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta12 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta2 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta3 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta4 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta5 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta6 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta7 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta8 | |
| Electronjs Electron | =26.0.0-beta9 | |
| Microsoft Visual Studio Code | ||
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Reference Links
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2023-39956?
CVE-2023-39956 is a Visual Studio Code Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Electron.
How does CVE-2023-39956 impact apps?
Apps that are launched as command line executables are impacted.
What are the conditions for CVE-2023-39956 to be exploited?
This vulnerability can only be exploited if the app is launched with an attacker-controlled working directory.
How do I fix CVE-2023-39956?
You can fix CVE-2023-39956 by updating Electron to version 26.0.0-beta.13 or higher.
What is the severity of CVE-2023-39956?
CVE-2023-39956 has a severity score of 6.1 (high).
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