CVE-2026-34768: Electron Unquoted Executable Path Vulnerability
LOWCVE-2026-34768 is a LOW (CVSS 3.9) unquoted executable path vulnerability (CWE-428: Unquoted Search Path or Element) affecting Electron libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves unquoted executable path in app.setloginitemsettings on windows. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.0, 41.0.0-beta.8.
CVE-2026-34768 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 3.9
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).
How to Fix CVE-2026-34768
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-2026-34768, 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-428: Unquoted Search Path or Element, where the product uses a search path that contains an unquoted element, in which the element contains whitespace or other separators. this can cause the product to access resources in a parent path. 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-2026-34768 Affected Electron Versions
4 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
electron
|
npm |
< 38.8.6
|
38.8.6
|
|
electron
|
npm |
≥ 39.0.0-alpha.1
< 39.8.1
|
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-2026-34768?
Which Electron versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2026-34768?
Is electron affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-34768?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-34768?
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-34768?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-jfqx-fxh3-c62j",
"modified" : "2026-04-06T23:10:34Z",
"published" : "2026-04-03T02:38:08Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-34768" ],
"summary" : "Electron: Unquoted executable path in app.setLoginItemSettings on Windows",
"details" : "### Impact\nOn Windows, `app.setLoginItemSettings({openAtLogin: true})` wrote the executable path to the `Run` registry key without quoting. If the app is installed to a path containing spaces, an attacker with write access to an ancestor directory may be able to cause a different executable to run at login instead of the intended app.\n\nOn a default Windows install, standard system directories are protected against writes by standard users, so exploitation typically requires a non-standard install location.\n\n### Workarounds\nInstall the application to a path without spaces, or to a location where all ancestor directories are protected against unauthorized writes.\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, send an email to [security@electronjs.org](mailto:security@electronjs.org)",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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-jfqx-fxh3-c62j"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34768"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/electron/electron"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-428" ],
"severity" : "LOW",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-03T02:38:08Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2026-04-04T00:16:17Z"
}
}