{"id":"CVE-2026-112944","aliases":["GHSA-r825-w8mm-5pxw"],"title":"launch-editor: Editor CLI flag misinterpretation causing arbitrary command execution for some editors","summary":"launch-editor: Editor CLI flag misinterpretation causing arbitrary command execution for some editors","severity":"medium","cvss":6.3,"cwe":["CWE-88"],"vendor":"launch-editor","product":"launch-editor","ecosystem":"npm","affected":["launch-editor <= 2.14.1","vite >= 8.3.0, <= 8.3.2","vite >= 8.2.0, <= 8.2.3","vite >= 8.0.0, <= 8.1.5","vite >= 7.0.0, <= 7.3.6","vite <= 6.4.3","vite-plus <= 1.0.0"],"patched":["launch-editor 2.14.2","vite 8.3.3","vite 8.2.4","vite 8.1.6","vite 7.3.7","vite 6.4.4","vite-plus 1.1.0"],"published":"2026-10-20","updated":"2026-10-20","sourceUpdated":"2026-10-20T19:51:54Z","source":"GHSA","sourceUrl":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r825-w8mm-5pxw","references":[{"url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/security/advisories/GHSA-r825-w8mm-5pxw"},{"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-112944"},{"url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/pull/156"},{"url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/commit/f6e6701bb1f16f2dd242b321374f1b6cca6eb6d4"},{"url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/releases/tag/v2.14.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r825-w8mm-5pxw"}],"tags":["ghsa","npm","cve.org"],"cvssVector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N","ssvc":{"exploitation":"none","automatable":"no","technicalImpact":"partial","timestamp":"2026-10-20T15:22:50.878612Z"},"cvssSource":"cna","ingestedAt":"2026-10-20T15:09:24.111Z","epss":0.00705,"epssPercentile":0.53163,"slug":"CVE-2026-112944","body":"## Overview\n\n### Summary\n\n`launch-editor` forwarded file paths directly to editors without sanitization. If a path resembles a CLI flag, editors like Vim may interpret it as a command, potentially causing unintended file overwrites or command execution.\n\n### Impact\n\n#### Direct `launch-editor` users\n\nOnly apps that match all of the following conditions are affected:\n\n- The attacker is able to create a file system entry (e.g. a file or directory) starting with `+` or `-` in the working directory\n- The user uses or the app specifies any of the following editors:\n  - Vim (including gVim)\n  - MacVim\n  - Emacs (including Emacsclient)\n  - Notepad++ (only if using a plugin exposing dangerous operations via plugin messages)\n- The first argument of `launchEditor` can start with `+` or `-` or the user is using WSL\n\n#### `launch-editor-middleware` users\n\nOnly apps that match the following conditions are affected:\n\n- The attacker is able to create a file system entry (e.g. a file or directory) starting with `+` or `-` in the working directory\n- The user uses or the app specifies any of the following editors:\n  - Vim (including gVim)\n  - MacVim\n  - Emacs (including Emacsclient)\n  - Notepad++ (only if using a plugin exposing dangerous operations via plugin messages)\n- launch-editor older than v2.2.0 is used, or the user is using WSL\n\n#### Vite users\n\nOnly apps that match the following conditions are affected:\n\n- The attacker is able to create a file system entry (e.g. a file or directory) starting with `+` or `-` in the working directory\n- The user uses or the app specifies any of the following editors:\n  - Vim (including gVim)\n  - MacVim\n  - Emacs (including Emacsclient)\n  - Notepad++ (only if using a plugin exposing dangerous operations via plugin messages)\n- The user is using WSL\n\n### Details\n\n`launchEditor(file)` function passes the file name as-is to the editor if the file with that file name exists. If the file name starts with `-` (also `+` for Vim), the editor treats them as flags rather than positional arguments. For example, Vim treats arguments starting with `+` as an Ex command. As a result, an existing relative directory such as:\n```\n+call writefile([\"SAFE_MARKER\"],\"LAUNCH_EDITOR_MARKER\")|qa!\n```\nis not treated as a filename when passed to Vim. Vim executes the embedded Ex command.\n\nThe following editor has a potentially destructive operation exposed to the CLI arguments:\n- Vim (including gVim)\n- MacVim\n- Emacs (including Emacsclient)\n- Notepad++ (only if using a plugin exposing dangerous operations via plugin messages)\n\n`launch-editor-middleware` v2.2.0+ converts the passed file path to an absolute path so those are not affected as long as the user is not using WSL. For WSL, `launch-editor` converts the paths to relative paths internally, so those are still affected.\n\nVite 2.0.0+ uses `launch-editor-middleware` v2.2.0+ so the WSL users are only affected.\n\n## Affected packages\n\n- `launch-editor <= 2.14.1`\n- `vite >= 8.3.0, <= 8.3.2`\n- `vite >= 8.2.0, <= 8.2.3`\n- `vite >= 8.0.0, <= 8.1.5`\n- `vite >= 7.0.0, <= 7.3.6`\n- `vite <= 6.4.3`\n- `vite-plus <= 1.0.0`\n\n## Remediation\n\nUpgrade to a patched release:\n\n- `launch-editor 2.14.2`\n- `vite 8.3.3`\n- `vite 8.2.4`\n- `vite 8.1.6`\n- `vite 7.3.7`\n- `vite 6.4.4`\n- `vite-plus 1.1.0`","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":35,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":34.7,"likelihood":0.1,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}