CVE-2024-39698 – electron-updater

Package

Manager: npm
Name: electron-updater
Vulnerable Version: >=0 <6.3.0-alpha.6

Severity

Level: High

CVSS v3.1: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v4.0: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

EPSS: 0.00318 pctl0.54227

Details

electron-updater Code Signing Bypass on Windows ### Observations The file `packages/electron-updater/src/windowsExecutableCodeSignatureVerifier.ts` implements the signature validation routine for Electron applications on Windows. It executes the following command in a new shell (`process.env.ComSpec` on Windows, usually `C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe`): https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/blob/140e2f0eb0df79c2a46e35024e96d0563355fc89/packages/electron-updater/src/windowsExecutableCodeSignatureVerifier.ts#L35-L41 Because of the surrounding shell, a first pass by `cmd.exe` expands any environment variable found in command-line above. ### Exploitation This creates a situation where `verifySignature()` can be tricked into validating the certificate of a different file than the one that was just downloaded. If the step is successful, the malicious update will be executed even if its signature is invalid. ### Impact This attack assumes a compromised update manifest (server compromise, Man-in-the-Middle attack if fetched over HTTP, Cross-Site Scripting to point the application to a malicious updater server, etc.). ### Patch This vulnerability was patched in #8295, by comparing the path in the output of `Get-AuthenticodeSignature` with the intended one. The patch is available starting from 6.3.0-alpha.6.

Metadata

Created: 2024-07-09T17:48:21Z
Modified: 2024-07-12T19:20:30Z
Source: https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2024/07/GHSA-9jxc-qjr9-vjxq/GHSA-9jxc-qjr9-vjxq.json
CWE IDs: ["CWE-154", "CWE-295"]
Alternative ID: GHSA-9jxc-qjr9-vjxq
Finding: F163
Auto approve: 1