# CVE-2026-102672: Electron: Local race condition in Squirrel.Mac update installation on macOS

> A local race condition in Electron's Squirrel.Mac updater allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary application files, requiring privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 13 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vv43-5jgx-7qv8

## What is CVE-2026-102672?

CVE-2026-102672 is a medium-severity vulnerability in electron, published on 13 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Electron is a framework for writing cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Prior to 39.8.10, 41.10.5, and 42.0.0-beta.2, Electron applications on macOS that use Squirrel.Mac-based automatic updates are vulnerable to a local race in the privileged ShipIt helper. The helper did not bind the validated update target to one canonical application-bundle path for the full installation, allowing a local attacker to redirect the root-level write so that it overwrites another application's files instead of the application that initiated the update. Applications on other platforms and macOS applications that do not use Squirrel.Mac-based automatic updates are not affected. This issue is fixed in versions 39.8.10, 41.10.5, and 42.0.0-beta.2.

Weakness: CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-102672?

6 open source packages ship an affected version, including electron.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `electron` | npm | All versions | 39.8.10 |
| `electron` | npm | All versions | 39.8.10 |
| `electron` | npm | From 40.0.0-alpha.1 | 41.10.5 |
| `electron` | npm | From 40.0.0-alpha.1 | 41.10.5 |
| `electron` | npm | From 42.0.0-alpha.1 | 42.0.0-beta.2 |
| `electron` | npm | From 42.0.0-alpha.1 | 42.0.0-beta.2 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-102672?

Upgrade electron to a fixed version for your release line: 39.8.10, 41.10.5 or 42.0.0-beta.2.

## Is CVE-2026-102672 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-102672 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-102672 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-102672 is a medium-severity vulnerability in electron, published on 13 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-102672 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- electron (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 39.8.10
- electron (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 39.8.10
- electron (npm): affected from 40.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 41.10.5
- electron (npm): affected from 40.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 41.10.5
- electron (npm): affected from 42.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 42.0.0-beta.2
- electron (npm): affected from 42.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 42.0.0-beta.2

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-2026-102672/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-102672/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-102672
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-102672
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-102672

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-102672/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.