Shescape prior to 1.5.8 vulnerable to insufficient escaping of line feeds for CMD
Impact
This impacts users that use Shescape (any API function) to escape arguments for cmd.exe on Windows. An attacker can omit all arguments following their input by including a line feed character ('\n') in the payload. Example:
import cp from "node:child_process";
import * as shescape from "shescape";
// 1. Prerequisites
const options = {
shell: "cmd.exe",
};
// 2. Attack
const payload = "attacker\n";
// 3. Usage
let escapedPayload;
escapedPayload = shescape.escape(payload, options);
// Or
escapedPayload = shescape.escapeAll([payload], options)[0];
// Or
escapedPayload = shescape.quote(payload, options);
// Or
escapedPayload = shescape.quoteAll([payload], options)[0];
cp.execSync(`echo Hello ${escapedPayload}! How are you doing?`, options);
// Outputs: "Hello attacker"Note:
execSyncis just illustrative here, all ofexec,execFile,execFileSync,fork,spawn, andspawnSynccan be attacked using a line feed character if CMD is the shell being used.
Patches
This bug has been patched in v1.5.8 which you can upgrade to now. No further changes are required.
Workarounds
Alternatively, line feed characters ('\n') can be stripped out manually or the user input can be made the last argument (this only limits the impact).
References
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/332
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v1.5.8
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Comment on https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/332
- Open an issue at https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/issues (New issue > Question > Get started)
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm package | shescape | < 1.5.8 | 1.5.8 |
References
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/security/advisories/GHSA-jjc5-fp7p-6f8w
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-31179
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/332
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/commit/aceea7358f7222984e21260381ebc5ec4543b76f
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v1.5.8
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-74- Platform
- npm
- Package
shescape- Disclosed
- 15.07.2022
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-jjc5-fp7p-6f8w - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: shescape
All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 13
- First → latest
- 03.2021 07.2026
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 2
- High 5
- Medium 4
- Low 2
Disclosures per year
- 2021: 1
- 2022: 4
- 2023: 2
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 1
- 2026: 5
-
Shescape prior to 1.5.8 vulnerable to insufficient escaping of line feeds for CMD this entry
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