Shescape: Home-directory disclosure in assignment context on Unix with Dash
Impact
This impacts users of Shescape on Unix systems that explicitly configure shell to Dash, or true when the default shell is Dash, using the escape and escapeAll APIs in assignments prefixed to a command.
An attacker may be able to obtain the location of the home directory and, depending on how it is used, change the location on which a command operates in unexpected ways.
import * as cp from "node:child_process";
import { Shescape } from "shescape";
// 1. Prerequisites
const options = {
shell: "dash",
// Or
shell: true, // Only if the default shell is Dash
};
// 2. Payload
const payload = ":~";
// 3. Usage
const shescape = new Shescape(options);
let escapedPayload;
escapedPayload = shescape.escape(payload);
// Or
escapedPayload = shescape.escapeAll([payload]);
// And (example)
const result = cp.execSync(`V=${escapedPayload}; echo $V`, options);
// 4. Impact
console.log(result.toString());
// Outputs ":" followed by the user's home directoryPatches
This bug has been patched in [v2.1.14] and [v3.0.1] which you can upgrade to now.
If you are already using v3 of Shescape, no further changes are required. If you are using v2 of Shescape it is recommended to upgrade as this version reaches end-of-life status on 2026-09-28, follow the [migration guide] to upgrade to v3.
No patches will be released for version of Shescape lower than v2.0.0.
Workarounds
Alternatively, users of Shescape can 1) refrain from using Dash, 2) use the env option of the node:child_process API to inject variables with untrusted values instead, or 3) remove all instances of ~ from untrusted inputs.
For more information
- Comment on Pull Request [#2651] for v2 and [#2649] for v3
- Comment on commit [b4b34c3] for v2 and [43d70b5] for v3
- Open an issue at https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/issues (New issue > Question)
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm package | shescape | < 2.1.14, >= 3.0.0, < 3.0.1 | 2.1.14, 3.0.1 |
References
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/security/advisories/GHSA-q53c-4prm-w95q
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/2649
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/2651
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/commit/43d70b59d09bbe5c3fd02ef08b3a123e977ed9de
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/commit/b4b34c394e7f9da2775bb75381066b9a228c425f
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/blob/dea8893a5877893d8d4923dbf253080e08899e6d/docs/migration.md
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v2.1.14
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v3.0.1
- CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-116, CWE-200- Platform
- npm
- Package
shescape- Disclosed
- 24.07.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 10:22
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-q53c-4prm-w95q - 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: Home-directory disclosure in assignment context on Unix with Dash this entry
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