CVE-2026-19590: CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element in OpenAI Codex Desktop

CVE-2026-19590 is an uncontrolled search path element vulnerability (CWE-427) in OpenAI Codex Desktop. The product trusts the local Git repository's core.hooksPath setting, which can be attacker-controlled if the repository's .git/config is preserved. When a user opens such a repository, Codex Desktop executes malicious Git hooks outside its command sandbox, with the user's privileges and without user consent. This can lead to arbitrary code execution affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of user data and resources. The vulnerability affects version =260202.0859 of Codex Desktop on Windows and macOS. There is no vendor advisory or patch information available yet.

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the user's privileges without user approval. This can lead to full compromise of user files and resources accessible by the user account, including reading, modifying, or deleting data. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the user's environment. However, exploitation requires opening a specially crafted repository that preserves the malicious core.hooksPath configuration, which is not preserved by a standard Git clone operation.

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, users should avoid opening repositories from untrusted sources that may contain malicious .git/config files with altered core.hooksPath settings. Consider verifying or resetting Git hook configurations before opening repositories in Codex Desktop.