# CVE-2026-66297: Unescaped deployment environment variables in generated setup commands

> Attackers with deployment config access can inject shell commands into generated setup scripts, leading to code execution on users' machines.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** EEF-CVE-2026-66297, GHSA-qpjc-w5mm-73mj

## What is CVE-2026-66297?

CVE-2026-66297 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in livebook-dev livebook, published on 5 Aug 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (OS Command Injection) vulnerability in livebook-dev livebook allows command injection into generated deployment setup commands.

LivebookWeb.Hub.Teams.DeploymentGroupAgentComponent.docker_instructions/2 and LivebookWeb.Hub.Teams.DeploymentGroupAgentComponent.fly_instructions/4 in lib/livebook_web/live/hub/teams/deployment_group_agent_component.ex interpolate deployment group environment variable values into the generated Docker and Fly.io setup commands without shell escaping. The values originate from the deployment group configuration and reach the sinks through Livebook.Hubs.Dockerfile.online_docker_info/3.

Both sinks place the value inside a double-quoted shell word, so a value containing a command substitution such as $(...) or backticks is evaluated by the shell without any need to break out of the quoting, and a literal double quote terminates the quoted word and allows arbitrary further tokens. The generated command is displayed in the Livebook web interface with a copy button, so a user who copies it and runs it without reviewing it first executes the injected commands on their own machine, under their own account.

An attacker requires privileges sufficient to set deployment group environment variables, while the resulting code execution occurs on the machine of whoever runs the generated command. The Kubernetes instructions are not affected, because they render the same values into a YAML manifest with escaping rather than into a shell command.

This issue affects livebook: from 0.13.0 before 0.18.7 and from 0.19.0 before 0.19.9.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-66297?

1 open source package ship an affected version, including livebook. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `livebook` | Hex | From 0.13.0 | 0.18.7, 0.19.9 |

Products: Livebook Livebook.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-66297?

Upgrade livebook to a fixed version for your release line: 0.18.7 or 0.19.9.

## Is CVE-2026-66297 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-66297 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in livebook-dev livebook

- [CVE-2026-66298](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66298/): JS-view sandboxed output can synthesize keyboard events to trigger unconfirmed global shortcuts (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2023-35174](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35174/): Livebook Desktop's protocol handler can be exploited to execute arbitrary command on Windows (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2026-68746](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68746/): Livebook Teams identity check fails open when the deployment group is unresolvable, allowing unauthenticated access (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2026-66881](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66881/): Path traversal in imported file_entries name allows arbitrary file write via URL-type entry download (high 7.0)
- [CVE-2026-66885](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66885/): Livebook Teams identity callback lacks state binding, allowing login CSRF (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-66297 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-66297 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in livebook-dev livebook, published on 5 Aug 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-66297 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- livebook (Hex): affected from 0.13.0; fixed in 0.18.7, 0.19.9

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-2026-66297/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66297/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-66297
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-66297
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-66297

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66297/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
