CVE-2018-1000136

A vulnerability has been discovered which allows Node.js integration to be re-enabled in some Electron applications that disable it.

For the application to be impacted by this vulnerability it must meet all of these conditions

• Runs on Electron 1.7, 1.8, or a 2.0.0-beta
• Allows execution of arbitrary remote code
• Disables Node.js integration
• Does not explicitly declare webviewTag: false in its webPreferences
• Does not enable the nativeWindowOption option
• Does not intercept new-window events and manually override event.newGuest without using the supplied options tag

The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.

CVE-2018-1000136 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.0.0-beta.5, 1.7.13, 1.8.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Update to electron version 1.7.13, 1.8.4, or 2.0.0-beta.5 or later.

If you are unable to update your Electron version can mitigate the vulnerability with the following code.

app.on('web-contents-created', (event, win) => {
  win.on('new-window', (event, newURL, frameName, disposition,
                        options, additionalFeatures) => {
    if (!options.webPreferences) options.webPreferences = {};
    options.webPreferences.nodeIntegration = false;
    options.webPreferences.nodeIntegrationInWorker = false;
    options.webPreferences.webviewTag = false;
    delete options.webPreferences.preload;
  })
})

// and *IF* you don't use WebViews at all,
// you might also want
app.on('web-contents-created', (event, win) => {
  win.on('will-attach-webview', (event, webPreferences, params) => {
    event.preventDefault();
  })
})

1. What is CVE-2018-1000136? CVE-2018-1000136 is a high-severity improper input validation vulnerability in electron (npm), affecting versions >= 2.0.0-beta.1, < 2.0.0-beta.5. It is fixed in 2.0.0-beta.5, 1.7.13, 1.8.4. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
2. How severe is CVE-2018-1000136? CVE-2018-1000136 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of electron are affected by CVE-2018-1000136? electron (npm) versions >= 2.0.0-beta.1, < 2.0.0-beta.5 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2018-1000136? Yes. CVE-2018-1000136 is fixed in 2.0.0-beta.5, 1.7.13, 1.8.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2018-1000136 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-1000136 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2018-1000136 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2018-1000136?
   • Upgrade electron to 2.0.0-beta.5 or later
   • Upgrade electron to 1.7.13 or later
   • Upgrade electron to 1.8.4 or later

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