CVE-2026-34768 Electron: Unquoted executable path in app.setLoginItemSettings on Windows
Attackers with write access to ancestor directories can execute arbitrary code at login if the Electron app is installed in a path with spaces.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-34768?
CVE-2026-34768 is a low-severity vulnerability in Electronjs Electron, published on 3 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local 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 versions 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.0, and 41.0.0-beta.8, on Windows, app.setLoginItemSettings({openAtLogin: true}) wrote the executable path to the Run registry key without quoting. If the app is installed to a path containing spaces, an attacker with write access to an ancestor directory may be able to cause a different executable to run at login instead of the intended app. On a default Windows install, standard system directories are protected against writes by standard users, so exploitation typically requires a non-standard install location. This issue has been patched in versions 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.0, and 41.0.0-beta.8.
Weakness: CWE-428
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-34768?
8 open source packages ship an affected version, including electron. It affects 1 product.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
electron npm | All versions | 38.8.6 |
electron npm | All versions | 38.8.6 |
electron npm | From 39.0.0-alpha.1 | 39.8.1 |
electron npm | From 39.0.0-alpha.1 | 39.8.1 |
electron npm | From 40.0.0-alpha.1 | 40.8.0 |
electron npm | From 40.0.0-alpha.1 | 40.8.0 |
2 more packages
electron npm | From 41.0.0-alpha.1 | 41.0.0-beta.8 |
electron npm | From 41.0.0-alpha.1 | 41.0.0-beta.8 |
Products include Electronjs Electron.
How do I fix CVE-2026-34768?
Upgrade electron to a fixed version for your release line: 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.0 or 41.0.0-beta.8.
Is CVE-2026-34768 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-34768 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Electronjs Electron
- CVE-2017-16151 Chromium Remote Code Execution in electron
- CVE-2018-1000118 Electron protocol handler browser vulnerable to Command Injection
- CVE-2026-34780 Electron: Context Isolation bypass via contextBridge VideoFrame transfer
- CVE-2026-102676 Electron: <webview> can enable Node.js integration in Web Workers despite embedder restrictions
- CVE-2026-102673 Electron drops inherited HTML sandbox restrictions for popups opened through OpenURLFromTab
Sources
Also known as GHSA-jfqx-fxh3-c62j.