# CVE-2026-43942: electerm: Full process.env exposed to renderer via window.pre.env in electerm

> Attackers with renderer JavaScript execution can steal environment variables, leading to credential theft and account compromise in electerm.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 May 2026
- **Updated:** 8 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-37j4-88rp-2f6h

## What is CVE-2026-43942?

CVE-2026-43942 is a medium-severity vulnerability in electerm, published on 8 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

electerm is an open-sourced terminal/ssh/sftp/telnet/serialport/RDP/VNC/Spice/ftp client. In versions 3.8.15 and prior, the getConstants() IPC handler in src/app/lib/ipc-sync.js serialises the entire process.env object and sends it to the renderer. The data is stored as window.pre.env and is accessible from any JavaScript running in the renderer (e.g., via the DevTools console or a compromised webview context). An attacker who achieves any JavaScript execution within the renderer can trivially exfiltrate these secrets to a remote server, leading to cloud account compromise, supply chain attacks, and lateral movement. At time of publication, there are no publicly available patches.

Weakness: CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information), CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-43942?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including electerm. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `electerm` | npm | All versions to 3.8.15 | None |
| `electerm` | npm | All versions to 3.8.15 | None |

Products: Electerm Project Electerm.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-43942?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-43942 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-43942 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-43942 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in electerm

- [CVE-2026-41500](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41500/): electerm has Command Injection Vulnerability via runMac function (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-41501](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41501/): electerm has Command Injection Vulnerability via runLinux function (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-23256](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-23256/): electerm allows unauthorized users to execute arbitrary commands (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-43941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43941/): Unvalidated shell.openExternal in electerm allows arbitrary protocol execution via terminal link click (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2026-43944](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43944/): electerm: dangerous code can be run through links or command line (critical 9.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-43942 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-43942 is a medium-severity vulnerability in electerm, published on 8 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-43942 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- electerm (npm): affected all versions up to 3.8.15; no fix listed
- electerm (npm): affected all versions up to 3.8.15; no fix listed

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-2026-43942/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43942/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-43942
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-43942
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-43942

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43942/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.