CVE-2026-73414: CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') in ericcornelissen shescape
Shescape is a simple shell escape library for JavaScript. Prior to 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, getEscapeFunction in src/internal/win/cmd.js does not escape `(` and `)` when applications use the escape or escapeAll APIs on Windows with shell set to cmd.exe, or with shell set to true when CMD is the default. An attacker-controlled argument can break out of a parenthesized CMD construct and inject shell syntax depending on the original command, resulting in arbitrary command execution. This issue is fixed in versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
Shescape is a shell escape library for JavaScript. In versions before 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, the getEscapeFunction in src/internal/win/cmd.js fails to escape the characters '(' and ')' when the shell is set to cmd.exe or true (defaulting to CMD). This improper neutralization of special elements (CWE-78) enables an attacker-controlled argument to break out of parenthesized CMD constructs and inject arbitrary shell syntax, leading to command execution. The vulnerability is addressed in versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1.
Potential Impact
An attacker can achieve arbitrary command execution on Windows systems running vulnerable versions of shescape by injecting shell commands through specially crafted input. This can lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges of the affected process.
Mitigation Recommendations
This vulnerability is fixed in shescape versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the issue. No official patch or temporary workaround is indicated beyond upgrading.
CVE-2026-73414: CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') in ericcornelissen shescape
Description
Shescape is a simple shell escape library for JavaScript. Prior to 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, getEscapeFunction in src/internal/win/cmd.js does not escape `(` and `)` when applications use the escape or escapeAll APIs on Windows with shell set to cmd.exe, or with shell set to true when CMD is the default. An attacker-controlled argument can break out of a parenthesized CMD construct and inject shell syntax depending on the original command, resulting in arbitrary command execution. This issue is fixed in versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1.
CVSS v4.0
Score 9.2critical
Affected software
ericcornelissen
shescape
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
Shescape is a shell escape library for JavaScript. In versions before 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, the getEscapeFunction in src/internal/win/cmd.js fails to escape the characters '(' and ')' when the shell is set to cmd.exe or true (defaulting to CMD). This improper neutralization of special elements (CWE-78) enables an attacker-controlled argument to break out of parenthesized CMD constructs and inject arbitrary shell syntax, leading to command execution. The vulnerability is addressed in versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1.
Potential Impact
An attacker can achieve arbitrary command execution on Windows systems running vulnerable versions of shescape by injecting shell commands through specially crafted input. This can lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges of the affected process.
Mitigation Recommendations
This vulnerability is fixed in shescape versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the issue. No official patch or temporary workaround is indicated beyond upgrading.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-12T14:32:11.795Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a7cd127bf8831d53911d115
Added to database: 08/12/2026, 20:01:43 UTC
Last enriched: 08/12/2026, 20:12:18 UTC
Last updated: 09/25/2026, 19:09:18 UTC
Views: 67
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