# CVE-2026-34765: Electron named window.open targets not scoped to the opener's browsing context

> Attackers can bypass security boundaries to execute code if apps use multiple windows with elevated privileges in Electron.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 7 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 13 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f3pv-wv63-48x8

## What is CVE-2026-34765?

CVE-2026-34765 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Electronjs Electron, published on 7 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Electron is a framework for writing cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Prior to 39.8.5, 40.8.5, 41.1.0, and 42.0.0-alpha.5, when a renderer calls window.open() with a target name, Electron did not correctly scope the named-window lookup to the opener's browsing context group. A renderer could navigate an existing child window that was opened by a different, unrelated renderer if both used the same target name. If that existing child was created with more permissive webPreferences (via setWindowOpenHandler's overrideBrowserWindowOptions), content loaded by the second renderer inherits those permissions. Apps are only affected if they open multiple top-level windows with differing trust levels and use setWindowOpenHandler to grant child windows elevated webPreferences such as a privileged preload script. Apps that do not elevate child window privileges, or that use a single top-level window, are not affected. Apps that additionally grant nodeIntegration: true or sandbox: false to child windows (contrary to the security recommendations) may be exposed to arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability is fixed in 39.8.5, 40.8.5, 41.1.0, and 42.0.0-alpha.5.

Weakness: CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-34765?

8 open source packages ship an affected version, including electron. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `electron` | npm | All versions | 39.8.5 |
| `electron` | npm | All versions | 39.8.5 |
| `electron` | npm | From 40.0.0-alpha.1 | 40.8.5 |
| `electron` | npm | From 40.0.0-alpha.1 | 40.8.5 |
| `electron` | npm | From 41.0.0-alpha.1 | 41.1.0 |
| `electron` | npm | From 41.0.0-alpha.1 | 41.1.0 |
| `electron` | npm | From 42.0.0-alpha.1 | 42.0.0-alpha.5 |
| `electron` | npm | From 42.0.0-alpha.1 | 42.0.0-alpha.5 |

Products: Electronjs Electron.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-34765?

Upgrade electron to a fixed version for your release line: 39.8.5, 40.8.5, 41.1.0 or 42.0.0-alpha.5.

## Is CVE-2026-34765 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-34765 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Electronjs Electron

- [CVE-2017-16151](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16151/): Chromium Remote Code Execution in electron (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-1000118](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1000118/): Electron protocol handler browser vulnerable to Command Injection (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-34780](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34780/): Electron: Context Isolation bypass via contextBridge VideoFrame transfer (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2026-102676](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-102676/): Electron: <webview> can enable Node.js integration in Web Workers despite embedder restrictions (high 8.3)
- [CVE-2026-102673](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-102673/): Electron drops inherited HTML sandbox restrictions for popups opened through OpenURLFromTab (high 8.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-34765 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-34765 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Electronjs Electron, published on 7 Apr 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-34765 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- electron (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 39.8.5
- electron (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 39.8.5
- electron (npm): affected from 40.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 40.8.5
- electron (npm): affected from 40.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 40.8.5
- electron (npm): affected from 41.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 41.1.0
- electron (npm): affected from 41.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 41.1.0
- electron (npm): affected from 42.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 42.0.0-alpha.5
- electron (npm): affected from 42.0.0-alpha.1; fixed in 42.0.0-alpha.5

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-2026-34765/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34765/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-34765
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-34765
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-34765

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34765/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.