CVE-2026-34779: Electron AppleScript Injection Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2026-34779 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) applescript injection vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Electron libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves applescript injection in app.movetoapplicationsfolder on macos. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.0, 41.0.0-beta.8.
CVE-2026-34779 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 6.5
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L).
How to Fix CVE-2026-34779
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Electron dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
npm install electron@38.8.6npm install electron@39.8.1npm install electron@40.8.0npm install electron@41.0.0-beta.8Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls electronHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-34779, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls electronAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Electron in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 38.8.6), your application is affected.
Note: The npm ls electron command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.
Technical Details
Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Electron, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.
Source Advisory Statement
CVE-2026-34779 Affected Electron Versions
4 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
electron
|
npm |
< 38.8.6
|
38.8.6
|
|
electron
|
npm |
< 39.8.1
≥ 39.0.0-alpha.1
|
39.8.1
|
|
electron
|
npm |
≥ 40.0.0-alpha.1
< 40.8.0
|
40.8.0
|
|
electron
|
npm |
≥ 41.0.0-alpha.1
< 41.0.0-beta.8
|
41.0.0-beta.8
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-34779?
Which Electron versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-34779?
Is electron affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-34779?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-34779?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-34779?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-5rqw-r77c-jp79",
"modified" : "2026-04-06T23:11:15Z",
"published" : "2026-04-03T02:46:16Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-34779" ],
"summary" : "Electron: AppleScript injection in app.moveToApplicationsFolder on macOS",
"details" : "### Impact\nOn macOS, `app.moveToApplicationsFolder()` used an AppleScript fallback path that did not properly handle certain characters in the application bundle path. Under specific conditions, a crafted launch path could lead to arbitrary AppleScript execution when the user accepted the move-to-Applications prompt.\n\nApps are only affected if they call `app.moveToApplicationsFolder()`. Apps that do not use this API are not affected.\n\n### Workarounds\nThere are no app side workarounds, developers must update to a patched version of Electron.\n\n### Fixed Versions\n* `41.0.0-beta.8`\n* `40.8.0`\n* `39.8.1`\n* `38.8.6`\n\n### For more information\nIf there are any questions or comments about this advisory, please email [security@electronjs.org](mailto:security@electronjs.org)",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "38.8.6"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "39.0.0-alpha.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "39.8.1"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "40.0.0-alpha.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "40.8.0"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "41.0.0-alpha.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "41.0.0-beta.8"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/electron/electron/security/advisories/GHSA-5rqw-r77c-jp79"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34779"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/electron/electron"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-78" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-03T02:46:16Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-04T00:16:19Z"
}
}