Shescape: Shell injection via unescaped parentheses on Windows with CMD
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-78.
Summary
Shescape is a simple shell escape library for JavaScript. Prior to 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, getEscapeFunction in src/internal/win/cmd.js does not escape `(` and `)` when applications use the escape or escapeAll APIs on Windows with shell set to cmd.exe, or with shell set to true when CMD is the default. An attacker-controlled argument can break out of a parenthesized CMD construct and inject shell syntax depending on the original command, resulting in arbitrary command execution. This issue is fixed in versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ericcornelissen | shescape | before 2.1.14; 3.0.0 to before 3.0.1 | 2.1.14, 3.0.1 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | shescape (npm) | before 2.1.14 | 2.1.14 | Patch available | GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr |
| — | shescape (npm) | 3.0.0 to before 3.0.1 | 3.0.1 | Patch available | GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr |
- shescape Vendorericcornelissen Affected before 2.1.14; 3.0.0 to before 3.0.1 Fixed in 2.1.14, 3.0.1 Patch available CNA
- shescape (npm) Vendor— Affected before 2.1.14 Fixed in 2.1.14 Patch available GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr
- shescape (npm) Vendor— Affected 3.0.0 to before 3.0.1 Fixed in 3.0.1 Patch available GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr
CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1
Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:shescape_project:shescape:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | ericcornelissen |
- cpe:2.3:a:shescape_project:shescape:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·ericcornelissen
Remediation
- Fix · CNA shescape (ericcornelissen) Fixed in 2.1.14, 3.0.1
- Fix · GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr shescape (npm) Fixed in 2.1.14 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr shescape (npm) Fixed in 3.0.1 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-73414
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr
References
Other 9
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/security/advisories/GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/2649
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/2651
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/commit/43d70b59d09bbe5c3fd02ef08b3a123e977ed9de
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/commit/b4b34c394e7f9da2775bb75381066b9a228c425f
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v2.1.14
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v3.0.1
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/blob/dea8893a5877893d8d4923dbf253080e08899e6d/docs/migration.md
More ericcornelissen vulnerabilities
- TI-2022-13220 Insufficient escaping of whitespace in shescape CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-13219 Insufficient escaping of line feeds for CMD in shescape CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-09469 Regular expression denial of service (ReDoS) in shescape CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-24632 Shescape escape() leaves bracket glob expansion active on Bash, BusyBox, and Dash CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.9
- TI-2022-16487 Shescape Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity vulnerability CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2022-08540 Exposure of home directory through shescape on Unix with Bash CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.2
Sources
- CVE-2026-73414 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-73414 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences