CVE-2026-70597: Electron Parent Process Code-sign Check Is Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2026-70597 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.3) parent process code-sign check is vulnerability (CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition) affecting Electron libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves parent process code-sign check is spoofable. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 39.8.8, 40.9.1, 41.2.1, 42.0.0-beta.3.
CVE-2026-70597 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 6.3
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2026-70597
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@39.8.8npm install electron@40.9.1npm install electron@41.2.1npm install electron@42.0.0-beta.3Run 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-2026-70597, 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 39.8.8), 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-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition, where the product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check. 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-2026-70597 Affected Electron Versions
4 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
electron
|
npm |
< 39.8.8
|
39.8.8
|
|
electron
|
npm |
≥ 40.0.0-alpha.1
< 40.9.1
|
40.9.1
|
|
electron
|
npm |
≥ 41.0.0-alpha.1
< 41.2.1
|
41.2.1
|
|
electron
|
npm |
≥ 42.0.0-alpha.1
< 42.0.0-beta.3
|
42.0.0-beta.3
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-70597?
Which Electron versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-70597?
Is electron affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-70597?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-70597?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-70597?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-jm7p-cc5g-qwxx",
"modified" : "2026-08-05T15:22:41Z",
"published" : "2026-08-05T15:21:22Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-70597" ],
"summary" : "Electron: Parent process code-sign check is spoofable",
"details" : "### Impact\nOn macOS, the check Electron uses to confirm it was launched by a same-signed parent process could be bypassed by a local process. Apps that enable the fuse-based hardening restricting `ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE` and `NODE_OPTIONS` to same-signed parents rely on this check; a local attacker could bypass it and run their own code inside the signed app, inheriting its TCC permissions and keychain access.\n\nApps are only affected if they enable those macOS fuse-based restrictions. Apps that do not enable them are not affected.\n\n### Workarounds\nThere are no app side workarounds, you must update to a patched version of Electron.\n\n### Fixed Versions\n* `42.0.0-beta.3`\n* `41.2.1`\n* `40.9.0`\n* `39.8.8`\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory, email us at [security@electronjs.org](mailto:security@electronjs.org)",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "39.8.8"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "40.0.0-alpha.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "40.9.1"
} ]
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"last_known_affected_version_range" : "< 40.9.0"
}
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "41.0.0-alpha.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "41.2.1"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "npm",
"name" : "electron"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "42.0.0-alpha.1"
}, {
"fixed" : "42.0.0-beta.3"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/electron/electron/security/advisories/GHSA-jm7p-cc5g-qwxx"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/electron/electron/commit/0a6291a97d210db3733689e70a51f5711e38ed35"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/electron/electron"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-367" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-08-05T15:21:22Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}