CVE-2026-57998: Command Injection (CVSS 7.8)

Description

better-npm-audit through 3.11.0, and the 4.0.0-rc.2 prerelease, builds its npm audit command by interpolating the user-supplied --registry option into a command string in src/handlers/handleInput.ts without validation or quoting, then passes that string to child_process.exec() in index.ts, which spawns a shell. A registry value containing shell metacharacters such as a semicolon, pipe, or command substitution executes arbitrary operating system commands with the privileges of the process running the audit.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.8

HIGH

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0015

Probability of exploitation

0.04%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-78 OS Command Injection

References

Other References

https://github.com/jeemok/better-npm-audit https://github.com/jeemok/better-npm-audit/blob/fd99a0f41ff4342b8a0a6fdbe5a17261de3d0544/index.ts#L34 https://github.com/jeemok/better-npm-audit/blob/fd99a0f41ff4342b8a0a6fdbe5a17261de3d0544/src/handlers/handleInput.ts#L30-L37 https://github.com/jeemok/better-npm-audit/issues/119 https://github.com/jeemok/better-npm-audit/pull/120 https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/better-npm-audit-os-command-injection-via-registry-flag https://github.com/jeemok/better-npm-audit/issues/119

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-57998? +

better-npm-audit through 3.11.0, and the 4.0.0-rc.2 prerelease, builds its npm audit command by interpolating the user-supplied --registry option into a command string in src/handlers/handleInput.ts without validation or quoting, then passes that string to child_process.exec() in index.ts, which spawns a shell. A registry value containing shell metacharacters such as a semicolon, pipe, or command substitution executes arbitrary operating system commands with the privileges of the process running the audit. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-57998? +

CVE-2026-57998 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0015, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-57998? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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