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protobuf.js is Vulnerable to OS Command Injection in the CLI

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 12, 2026 in protobufjs/protobuf.js • Updated May 14, 2026

Package

npm protobufjs-cli (npm)

Affected versions

<= 1.2.0
>= 2.0.0, <= 2.0.1

Patched versions

1.2.1
2.0.2

Description

Summary

pbts invoked JSDoc by building a shell command string from input file paths and executing it through child_process.exec. File paths containing shell metacharacters could therefore be interpreted by the shell instead of being passed to JSDoc as plain arguments.

Impact

An attacker who can control file names or paths passed to pbts may be able to execute arbitrary shell commands with the privileges of the process running pbts.

This affects the protobufjs CLI tooling path. The protobufjs runtime APIs for encoding, decoding, parsing, and loading protobuf messages are not directly affected by this issue.

Preconditions

  • The application or user must invoke pbts on file paths influenced by an attacker.
  • The attacker must be able to supply or create a path containing shell-significant characters.
  • The vulnerable pbts version must execute the generated JSDoc command through a shell.

Workarounds

Do not run affected versions of pbts on attacker-controlled file names or paths. If this cannot be avoided, sanitize or rename input files before invoking pbts, or run the CLI in an isolated environment with minimal privileges.

References

@dcodeIO dcodeIO published to protobufjs/protobuf.js May 12, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 12, 2026
Reviewed May 12, 2026
Published by the National Vulnerability Database May 13, 2026
Last updated May 14, 2026

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(3rd percentile)

Weaknesses

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2026-42290

GHSA ID

GHSA-f84p-cvgm-xgjj

Source code

Credits

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