CVE-2022-24725 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the JavaScript package 'shescape' versions 1.4.0 up to but not including 1.5.1. Shescape is designed to safely escape shell commands in JavaScript environments. The vulnerability arises when using the 'escape' or 'escapeAll' functions with the 'interpolation' option enabled (set to true) specifically on Unix systems running the Bash shell. Under these conditions, the package may inadvertently expose the user's home directory path. This exposure occurs because the tilde character (~), which is a shell shorthand for the home directory, is not properly escaped, allowing the home directory path to be revealed in the output. Notably, this issue does not affect other shells such as Dash or Zsh. Furthermore, depending on how the output from shescape is utilized by the application, this exposure could lead to directory traversal attacks, potentially allowing unauthorized access to files outside the intended directory scope. The vulnerability was addressed and patched in version 1.5.1 of shescape. As a temporary mitigation, developers are advised to manually escape all tilde characters by replacing '~' with '\~' in their arguments before passing them to the shescape functions. There are no known exploits in the wild reported for this vulnerability, and the issue is classified under CWE-200, indicating exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability is the unintended disclosure of sensitive directory information, specifically the home directory path of users on Unix systems running Bash. While this may seem limited, such information disclosure can facilitate further targeted attacks, including directory traversal and unauthorized file access, especially if the application processes shell commands with user input. Organizations relying on JavaScript applications that incorporate the shescape package in vulnerable versions may inadvertently expose internal directory structures, which could be leveraged by attackers to map the environment or escalate privileges. This is particularly concerning for sectors handling sensitive data such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, where even limited information disclosure can aid in more sophisticated attacks. However, since exploitation requires the use of Bash with specific function options and the vulnerability does not affect other shells, the scope is somewhat constrained. Additionally, no authentication or user interaction is explicitly required to trigger the exposure, increasing the risk if the vulnerable code is accessible to untrusted inputs or external users. The absence of known exploits in the wild suggests limited active targeting so far, but the risk remains for organizations that have not updated to patched versions or implemented mitigations.

1. Upgrade to shescape version 1.5.1 or later immediately to apply the official patch resolving this vulnerability. 2. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, implement the recommended workaround by manually escaping all tilde characters in inputs passed to the 'escape' or 'escapeAll' functions with the interpolation option enabled, using the replacement arg.replace(/~/g, "\\~"). 3. Audit all codebases and dependencies to identify usage of shescape, particularly focusing on versions between 1.4.0 and 1.5.1, and verify whether the interpolation option is enabled in calls to escape functions. 4. Review application logic that consumes the output of shescape to ensure it does not allow directory traversal or unauthorized file access, employing strict input validation and output sanitization. 5. Limit exposure by restricting access to vulnerable application endpoints and monitoring logs for unusual access patterns or attempts to exploit directory traversal. 6. Employ runtime application self-protection (RASP) or web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious shell command patterns or directory traversal attempts. 7. Educate development teams about secure handling of shell escapes and the risks of interpolation options in shell command construction.