CVE-2026-25143: chainguard-dev melange · OS Command Injection
Affects chainguard-dev melangeSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High : upgrade to 0.40.3 soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 11:42 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 0.40.3
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 4 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade melange and chainguard-dev/melange to 0.40.3.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| chainguard-devmelange | Affected
| Fixed in
|
GitHubchainguard-dev/melangepkg:github/chainguard-dev/melangeOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
The primary mitigation is to upgrade all instances of melange to version 0.40.3 or later, where the vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should audit their build environments to identify any use of affected melange versions and enforce upgrade policies. Additionally, restrict the sources of patch-related inputs to trusted and authenticated users only, minimizing the risk of malicious input injection. Implement strict input validation and sanitization in any custom pipelines or scripts that interact with melange. Employ least privilege principles for build processes, ensuring melange runs with minimal necessary permissions to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Monitor CI/CD logs and build outputs for anomalous command execution or unexpected behavior. Consider isolating build environments using containerization or sandboxing to contain potential compromises. Finally, educate development and DevOps teams about secure pipeline practices and the risks of command injection vulnerabilities.
Description
CVE-2026-25143 is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in chainguard-dev's melange tool versions 0.10.0 to before 0.40.3. It arises from improper neutralization of special shell characters in the patch pipeline, allowing attackers who can influence patch-related inputs to execute arbitrary shell commands on the build host. Exploitation requires user interaction but no privileges and can lead to full compromise of the build environment. The issue is fixed in version 0.40.3.