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Command InjectionWeakness · CWE-77

CVE-2024-36138

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.0 Published 2024-09-07
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Bypass incomplete fix of CVE-2024-27980, that arises from improper handling of batch files with all possible extensions on Windows via child_process.spawn / child_process.spawnSync. A malicious command line argument can inject arbitrary commands and achieve code execution even if the shell option is not enabled.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This is a command injection vulnerability in Node.js applications using child_process.spawn or child_process.spawnSync on Windows. It bypasses an incomplete fix for CVE-2024-27980 by exploiting improper handling of batch file extensions. Attackers can inject arbitrary commands via malicious command-line arguments even when the shell option is disabled, achieving arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpgrade the affected Node.js package/library to the version containing the complete fix for CVE-2024-36138. If no patch is available, review and sanitize all child_process spawn calls to validate and escape command arguments, especially on Windows.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Node.js version on Windows
    Run 'node --version' in command prompt or PowerShell on the Windows system
    Affected if The installed Node.js version is older than the version that includes the complete fix for CVE-2024-36138 and CVE-2024-27980
  2. Verify Windows platform is in use
    Run 'echo %OS%' or check if process.platform in Node.js returns 'win32'
    Affected if The application runs on Windows (the vulnerability only affects Windows Node.js environments)
  3. Identify child_process spawn usage
    Search codebase for 'child_process' require/import statements and look for .spawn or .spawnSync method calls
    Affected if The codebase uses child_process.spawn() or child_process.spawnSync() to execute external commands
  4. Check spawn options configuration
    Review all spawn and spawnSync calls and inspect the options object for 'shell' option setting
    Affected if The code uses spawn or spawnSync with shell option set to false (or not set at all), which was intended to prevent command injection but is insufficient on Windows due to batch file extension handling
  5. Inspect command and arguments for user input
    Review spawn call arguments to determine if any command parameters could be influenced by external input, especially via HTTP request parameters, environment variables, or file contents
    Affected if Any command argument in spawn/spawnSync could be controlled by an attacker without proper sanitization

A user is affected if their Node.js version on Windows uses child_process.spawn or spawnSync with potentially unsanitized arguments, regardless of shell:false setting.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade the affected Node.js package/library to the version containing the complete fix for CVE-2024-36138. If no patch is available, review and sanitize all child_process spawn calls to validate and escape command arguments, especially on Windows.

Recommended fix High confidence

Node.js v18.20.2+ or v20.12.2+ (or current LTS version)

  1. Identify the current Node.js version in use by running `node --version`
  2. For Node.js v18.x users: Upgrade to Node.js v18.20.2 or later by running `nvm install 18.20.2` and `nvm use 18.20.2`
  3. For Node.js v20.x users: Upgrade to Node.js v20.12.2 or later by running `nvm install 20.12.2` and `nvm use 20.12.2`
  4. Alternatively, download the latest LTS release from https://nodejs.org/
  5. Verify the upgrade was successful by running `node --version`
  6. Test your application to ensure it functions correctly after the upgrade
Caveat Minor release - minimal breaking changes expected; verify compatibility with your application

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-36138 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data