CVE-2026-9277 PUBLISHED

shell-quote `quote()` does not validate object-token shapes, allowing command injection via line terminators in `.op`

Assigner: harborist
Reserved: 22.05.2026 Published: 22.05.2026 Updated: 22.05.2026

shell-quote's quote() function did not validate object-token inputs against the operator model used by parse(). The .op field was backslash-escaped character by character using /(.)/g, which in JavaScript does not match line terminators (\n, \r, U+2028, U+2029). A line terminator in .op therefore passed through unescaped into the output; POSIX shells treat a literal newline as a command separator, so any content after it would execute as a second command. The vulnerable code path is reachable in two ways: (1) direct construction of { op: '...\n...' } from external input, and (2) via parse(cmd, envFn) when envFn returns object tokens whose .op is attacker-influenced. Both are documented API surface. Fixed by replacing the per-character escape with strict shape validation: .op must match the parser's control-operator allowlist; { op: 'glob', pattern } validates pattern and forbids line terminators; { comment } validates comment and forbids line terminators; any other object shape throws TypeError.

Metrics

CVSS Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CVSS Score: 9.2

Product Status

Package Collection https://www.npmjs.com/package/shell-quote
Package Name shell-quote
Versions Default: unaffected
  • affected from 1.1.0 to 1.8.4 (excl.)

Credits

  • Akshat Sinha (@akshatgit) finder
  • Jordan Harband (@ljharb) remediation developer

References

Problem Types

  • CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') CWE
  • CWE-77 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') CWE