Summary
Improper Privilege Management in shelljs
Workarounds
Recommended action is to upgrade to 0.8.5.
References
https://huntr.dev/bounties/50996581-c08e-4eed-a90e-c0bac082679c/
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Ask at https://github.com/shelljs/shelljs/issues/1058
- Open an issue at https://github.com/shelljs/shelljs/issues/new
Impact
Output from the synchronous version of shell.exec() may be visible to other users on the same system. You may be affected if you execute shell.exec() in multi-user Mac, Linux, or WSL environments, or if you execute shell.exec() as the root user.
Other shelljs functions (including the asynchronous version of shell.exec()) are not impacted.
The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access. Typical impact: privilege escalation beyond the intended level.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Patched in shelljs 0.8.5
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ? GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ is a medium-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in shelljs (npm), affecting versions < 0.8.5. It is fixed in 0.8.5. The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access.
- Which versions of shelljs are affected by GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ? shelljs (npm) versions < 0.8.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ? Yes. GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ is fixed in 0.8.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ 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
- What actually determines whether GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ 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.
- How do I fix GHSA-64G7-MVW6-V9QJ? Upgrade
shelljsto 0.8.5 or later.