# CVE-2021-32692: Activity Watch vulnerable to command execution on macOS via printAppTitle.scpt

> Attackers can execute arbitrary commands on macOS by tricking users into visiting a website with a malicious page title.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Dec 2022
- **Updated:** 15 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3x6w-q32m-jqf3

## What is CVE-2021-32692?

CVE-2021-32692 is a critical command injection vulnerability in ActivityWatch Activity Watch, published on 23 Dec 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Activity Watch is a free and open-source automated time tracker. Versions prior to 0.11.0 allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on any macOS machine with ActivityWatch running. The attacker can exploit this vulnerability by having the user visiting a website with the page title set to a malicious string. An attacker could use another application to accomplish the same, but the web browser is the most likely attack vector. This issue is patched in version 0.11.0. As a workaround, users can run the latest version of aw-watcher-window from source, or manually patch the `printAppTitle.scpt` file.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-32692?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Activitywatch Activitywatch.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-32692?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-32692 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-32692 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-32692 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in ActivityWatch Activity Watch

- [CVE-2022-31149](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-31149/): ActivityWatch vulnerable to DNS rebinding attack (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-32692 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-32692 is a critical command injection vulnerability in ActivityWatch Activity Watch, published on 23 Dec 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-32692 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: ActivityWatch Activity Watch. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32692/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32692/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-32692
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-32692
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-32692

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32692/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.