CVE-2026-34768
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 · uneditedElectron 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.
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 · high confidenceElectron's Windows login item settings write the executable path to the Run registry key without quoting, creating a path injection vulnerability. When the app is installed to a path containing spaces, an attacker with write access to an ancestor directory can cause a different executable to run at login instead of the intended application.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 38.8.6>= 39.0.0, < 39.8.1>= 40.0.0, < 40.8.0= 41.0.0CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Electron version in your applicationCheck the package.json file for the 'electron' dependency version, or run 'npm list electron' in your project directoryAffected if The version falls outside the fixed versions: not 38.8.6+, 39.8.1+, 40.8.0+, or 41.0.0-beta.8+
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Determine if your app uses setLoginItemSettings APISearch your codebase for calls to app.setLoginItemSettings() or app.getLoginItemSettings() to confirm the login item feature is in useAffected if Your application calls setLoginItemSettings to add itself to Windows startup
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Check the Windows Run registry key for your applicationOpen Registry Editor and navigate to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, or run 'reg query HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run' in Command PromptAffected if Your application's entry appears in the Run key with an unquoted path containing spaces (e.g., C:\Program Files\My App\app.exe instead of "C:\Program Files\My App\app.exe")
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Verify if your installation path contains spacesCheck the directory where your Electron application is installed; common paths with spaces include 'Program Files', 'AppData', or custom installation folders with spaces in the nameAffected if The application is installed in a path containing spaces (e.g., C:\Program Files\YourApp) AND the registry entry shows an unquoted executable path
You are affected if your Electron version is vulnerable AND your app uses login item settings AND your installation path contains spaces AND the registry Run key entry lacks quotes around the path.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped38.8.639.8.140.8.0
Upgrade Electron to versions 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.0, or 41.0.0-beta.8 or later. As a workaround, avoid installing the app in paths with spaces, though upgrading is the definitive fix.
Electron 38.8.6 (if on v38), 39.8.1 (if on v39), 40.8.0 (if on v40), or 41.0.0-beta.8 or later (if on v41)
- Identify the current Electron version in use by checking package.json or node_modules/electron/package.json
- Determine which major version branch you are on (38.x, 39.x, 40.x, or 41.x)
- For Electron 38.x: Upgrade to version 38.8.6 or later (e.g., npm install [email protected])
- For Electron 39.x: Upgrade to version 39.8.1 or later (e.g., npm install [email protected])
- For Electron 40.x: Upgrade to version 40.8.0 or later (e.g., npm install [email protected])
- For Electron 41.x: Upgrade to version 41.0.0-beta.8 or later stable release
- After upgrading, rebuild native modules if applicable using electron-rebuild or similar tools
- Test the application thoroughly, particularly the login item settings functionality on Windows
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-34768 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-34768 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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