# CVE-2026-73411: Shescape: Home-directory disclosure in assignment context on Unix with Dash

> An attacker can disclose the home directory path and alter command execution location by exploiting improper tilde escaping in the Shescape library.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 12 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q53c-4prm-w95q

## What is CVE-2026-73411?

CVE-2026-73411 is a medium-severity vulnerability in ericcornelissen shescape, published on 12 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Shescape is a simple shell escape library for JavaScript. Prior to 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, getEscapeFunction in src/internal/unix/dash.js fails to escape ~ after : or = when applications use the escape or escapeAll APIs on Unix with shell set to dash, or with shell set to true when Dash is the default, and interpolate the result into an assignment prefixed to a command. An attacker who controls the input can supply a value such as :~ to disclose the home-directory path and may change the location on which the command operates. This issue is fixed in versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor), CWE-116 (Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-73411?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including shescape.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `shescape` | npm | All versions | 2.1.14 |
| `shescape` | npm | All versions | 2.1.14 |
| `shescape` | npm | From 3.0.0 | 3.0.1 |
| `shescape` | npm | From 3.0.0 | 3.0.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-73411?

Upgrade shescape to a fixed version for your release line: 2.1.14 or 3.0.1.

## Is CVE-2026-73411 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-73411 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-73411 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-73411 is a medium-severity vulnerability in ericcornelissen shescape, published on 12 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-73411 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- shescape (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2.1.14
- shescape (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 2.1.14
- shescape (npm): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.0.1
- shescape (npm): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.0.1

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-2026-73411/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-73411/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-73411
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-73411
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-73411

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-73411/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.