Vulnerabilities in pkg:npm/actual

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7rvm-xjpp-63r9
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-42890 is a MODERATE actual allows electron to run vulnerability (CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure) affecting Actual libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves actual allows electron to run as node. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 26.5.0.

1 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:npm/actual

1 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:npm/actual. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-7rvm-xjpp-63r9 CVE-2026-42890 MODERATE actual Allows Electron to Run As Node

CVE-2026-42890 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-42890
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7rvm-xjpp-63r9
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure
Affected Product Actual
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-42890

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Actual dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

actual fixed: 26.5.0 
npm install actual@26.5.0
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 actual

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-42890, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls actual

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Actual in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 26.5.0), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls actual 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-693: Protection Mechanism Failure, where the product does not use or incorrectly uses a protection mechanism that provides sufficient defense against directed attacks against the product. In Actual, 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 A electron run as node vulnerability was identified in `actual` (macOS application, version `25.x (Electron 39.2.7)`). **Vulnerability Type:** Electron Run As Node ## Description ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE fuse enabled (Electron 39.2.7) — app can be converted to Node.js REPL for arbitrary code execution ## Impact An attacker who can place a file on disk or control command-line arguments can invoke the signed Actual.app binary with ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1 to execute arbitrary Node.js code inheriting the apps entitlements and code signature. This bypasses macOS Gatekeeper review of the payload: the Node.js script runs as Actual, under Actuals bundle ID and signed identity, and has access to any entitlements the app carries (network, file access, keychain, automation). Combined with any downloader (browser, mail attachment, Slack link) this becomes a signed-binary-abuse primitive on every Mac with Actual installed.

CVE-2026-42890 Affected Actual Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
26.5.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
actual
npm/actual
npm
< 26.5.0
26.5.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/actualbudget/actual/security/advisories/GHSA-7rvm-xjpp-63r9
NVD — CVE-2026-42890 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42890
Actual Release RELEASE
https://actualbudget.org/blog/release-26.5.0
Actual Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/actualbudget/actual

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42890?
CVE-2026-42890 is a security vulnerability in Actual involving actual Allows Electron to Run As Node under CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure.
Which Actual versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 26.5.0 across affected packages: actual.
What version fixes CVE-2026-42890?
Upgrading to 26.5.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is actual affected?
Yes, actual is affected in releases prior to 26.5.0. Upgrade your dependency to 26.5.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-42890?
CVE-2026-42890 is classified under CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure (The product does not use or incorrectly uses a protection mechanism that provides sufficient defense against directed attacks against the product.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-42890?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls actual'. 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
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-7rvm-xjpp-63r9",
  "modified" : "2026-06-12T21:59:55Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-08T18:21:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-42890" ],
  "summary" : "actual Allows Electron to Run As Node",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\nA electron run as node vulnerability was identified in `actual` (macOS application, version `25.x (Electron 39.2.7)`).\n\n**Vulnerability Type:** Electron Run As Node\n\n## Description\n\nELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE fuse enabled (Electron 39.2.7) — app can be converted to Node.js REPL for arbitrary code execution\n\n## Impact\n\nAn attacker who can place a file on disk or control command-line arguments can invoke the signed Actual.app binary with ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1 to execute arbitrary Node.js code inheriting the apps entitlements and code signature. This bypasses macOS Gatekeeper review of the payload: the Node.js script runs as Actual, under Actuals bundle ID and signed identity, and has access to any entitlements the app carries (network, file access, keychain, automation). Combined with any downloader (browser, mail attachment, Slack link) this becomes a signed-binary-abuse primitive on every Mac with Actual installed.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "actual"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "26.5.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/actualbudget/actual/security/advisories/GHSA-7rvm-xjpp-63r9"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42890"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://actualbudget.org/blog/release-26.5.0"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/actualbudget/actual"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-250", "CWE-693", "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-06-08T18:21:26Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-12T20:16:45Z"
  }
}