Vulnerability · Published Apr 3, 2026 · Assigned by GitHub_M
CVE-2026-34773Electron: Registry key path injection in app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient on Windows
Medium 4.7
In plain English
A medium-severity improper input validation in electron from electron. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 16% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.
Official description
Electron is a framework for writing cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Prior to versions 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.1, and 41.0.0, on Windows, app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient(protocol) did not validate the protocol name before writing to the registry. Apps that pass untrusted input as the protocol name may allow an attacker to write to arbitrary subkeys under HKCU\Software\Classes\, potentially hijacking existing protocol handlers. Apps are only affected if they call app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient() with a protocol name derived from external or untrusted input. Apps that use a hardcoded protocol name are not affected. This issue has been patched in versions 38.8.6, 39.8.1, 40.8.1, and 41.0.0.
Affected packages & fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | electron | 38.8.6 | GHSA-mwmh-mq4g-g6gr |
| npm | electron | 39.8.1 | GHSA-mwmh-mq4g-g6gr |
| npm | electron | 40.8.1 | GHSA-mwmh-mq4g-g6gr |
| npm | electron | 41.0.0 | GHSA-mwmh-mq4g-g6gr |
Affected products (as reported)
Weakness: CWE-20, CWE-74 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
References
- https://github.com/electron/electron/security/advisories/GHSA-mwmh-mq4g-g6gr x_refsource_CONFIRM