Code execution via permissive batch extension parsing
Published Sep 7, 2024 · Updated Apr 30, 2025
Command injection in Node.js allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on Windows through malicious child-process arguments. The IsWindowsBatchFile check examines only the final literal extension, so batch names ending in spaces or dots evade .cmd and .bat recognition and pass malicious arguments to Windows command processing. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled arguments to child_process.spawn or child_process.spawnSync; the shell option can remain disabled.
Summary
What happened
Command injection in Node.js allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on Windows through malicious child-process arguments. The IsWindowsBatchFile check examines only the final literal extension, so batch names ending in spaces or dots evade .cmd and .bat recognition and pass malicious arguments to Windows command processing. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled arguments to child_process.spawn or child_process.spawnSync; the shell option can remain disabled.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-36138
- Published
- Sep 7, 2024
- Updated
- Apr 30, 2025
- Vendor
- Node.js
- Product
- Node.js
- Classifications
- CWE-77, T1059.003
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 7, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0 <10.*
- Affected versionversion=11.0 <11.*
- Affected versionversion=12.0 <12.*
- Affected versionversion=13.0 <13.*
- Affected versionversion=14.0 <14.*
- Affected versionversion=15.0 <15.*
- Affected versionversion=16.0 <16.*
- Affected versionversion=17.0 <17.*
- Affected versionversion=18.0 <18.20.4
- Affected versionversion=19.0 <19.*
- Affected versionversion=20.0 <20.15.1
- Affected versionversion=21.0 <21.*
- Affected versionversion=22.0 <22.4.1
- Affected versionversion=4.0 <4.*
- Affected versionversion=5.0 <5.*
- Affected versionversion=6.0 <6.*
- Affected versionversion=7.0 <7.*
- Affected versionversion=8.0 <8.*
- Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.*
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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