Race condition in Electron Squirrel.Mac update installation on macOS
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.
Summary
Electron on macOS is affected before 39.8.10, from 40.0.0-alpha.1 before 41.10.5, and from 42.0.0-alpha.1 before 42.0.0-beta.2 when apps use Squirrel.Mac automatic updates. The privileged ShipIt helper does not bind the validated update target to one canonical application bundle path, a race (CWE-367) that lets a local user with low privileges redirect a root-level write. The write can overwrite another application's files.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
Electron is a framework for writing cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Prior to 39.8.10, 41.10.5, and 42.0.0-beta.2, Electron applications on macOS that use Squirrel.Mac-based automatic updates are vulnerable to a local race in the privileged ShipIt helper. The helper did not bind the validated update target to one canonical application-bundle path for the full installation, allowing a local attacker to redirect the root-level write so that it overwrites another application's files instead of the application that initiated the update. Applications on other platforms and macOS applications that do not use Squirrel.Mac-based automatic updates are not affected. This issue is fixed in versions 39.8.10, 41.10.5, and 42.0.0-beta.2.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| electron | electron | before 39.8.10; 40.0.0-alpha.1 to before 41.10.5; 42.0.0-alpha.1 to before 42.0.0-beta.2 | 39.8.10, 41.10.5, 42.0.0-beta.2 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | electron (npm) | before 39.8.10 | 39.8.10 | Patch available | GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8 |
| — | electron (npm) | 40.0.0-alpha.1 to before 41.10.5 | 41.10.5 | Patch available | GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8 |
| — | electron (npm) | 42.0.0-alpha.1 to before 42.0.0-beta.2 | 42.0.0-beta.2 | Patch available | GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8 |
- electron Vendorelectron Affected before 39.8.10; 40.0.0-alpha.1 to before 41.10.5; 42.0.0-alpha.1 to before 42.0.0-beta.2 Fixed in 39.8.10, 41.10.5, 42.0.0-beta.2 Patch available CNA
- electron (npm) Vendor— Affected before 39.8.10 Fixed in 39.8.10 Patch available GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8
- electron (npm) Vendor— Affected 40.0.0-alpha.1 to before 41.10.5 Fixed in 41.10.5 Patch available GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8
- electron (npm) Vendor— Affected 42.0.0-alpha.1 to before 42.0.0-beta.2 Fixed in 42.0.0-beta.2 Patch available GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8
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:electronjs:electron:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | Electronjs |
- cpe:2.3:a:electronjs:electron:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·Electronjs
Remediation
Electron versions 39.8.10, 41.10.5 and 42.0.0-beta.2 fix the issue.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA electron (electron) Fixed in 39.8.10, 41.10.5, 42.0.0-beta.2
- Fix · GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8 electron (npm) Fixed in 39.8.10 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8 electron (npm) Fixed in 41.10.5 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8 electron (npm) Fixed in 42.0.0-beta.2 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Build of Podman Desktop
Timeline
- 2026-10-13 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-102672
- 2026-10-13 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-13 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 10
- https://github.com/electron/electron/security/advisories/GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8
- https://github.com/electron/electron/pull/50745
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/01faabfc250801a980fc94d64608046c67fc1cd9
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/15e2928a5c5f01759107b414010e220d90d59cef
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/a0f9ff4cc0340545008424232d49caadd9c0c767
- https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/b8f25c4cedb2e0f5f475912b709aba19c57c26be
- https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v39.8.10
- https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v41.10.5
- https://github.com/electron/electron/releases/tag/v42.0.0-beta.2
- https://github.com/electron/electron
More electron vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-39496 Information disclosure in electron-builder CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.2
- TI-2024-26621 Code Signing Bypass on Windows in electron-updater < 6.3.0-alpha.6 CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2023-09452 Content-Secrity-Policy disabling eval not applied consistently in renderers with sandbox disabled in Electron CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-39157 Electron: Buffer performs incorrect byte length calculations resulting in heap buffer under/overflow CVSS 4.0CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2017-09308 GitHub Electron before 1.6.8 allows remote command execution because of a nodeIntegration… CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.1
- TI-2022-11788 Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere in Electron CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2026-102672 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-102672 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-102672 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences