CVE-2022-31179 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) CWE-74 vulnerability in shescape. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for shescape — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Insufficient escaping of line feeds for CMD in shescape
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2022-31179.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2022-31179 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,333 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
shescapenpmDescription
Impact
This impacts users that use Shescape (any API function) to escape arguments for cmd.exe on Windows. An attacker can omit all arguments following their input by including a line feed character ('\n') in the payload. Example:
import cp from "node:child_process";
import * as shescape from "shescape";
// 1. Prerequisites
const options = {
shell: "cmd.exe",
};
// 2. Attack
const payload = "attacker\n";
// 3. Usage
let escapedPayload;
escapedPayload = shescape.escape(payload, options);
// Or
escapedPayload = shescape.escapeAll([payload], options)[0];
// Or
escapedPayload = shescape.quote(payload, options);
// Or
escapedPayload = shescape.quoteAll([payload], options)[0];
cp.execSync(`echo Hello ${escapedPayload}! How are you doing?`, options);
// Outputs: "Hello attacker"
Note:
execSyncis just illustrative here, all ofexec,execFile,execFileSync,fork,spawn, andspawnSynccan be attacked using a line feed character if CMD is the shell being used.
Patches
This bug has been patched in v1.5.8 which you can upgrade to now. No further changes are required.
Workarounds
Alternatively, line feed characters ('\n') can be stripped out manually or the user input can be made the last argument (this only limits the impact).
References
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/332
- https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v1.5.8
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Comment on https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/332
- Open an issue at https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/issues (New issue > Question > Get started)
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | shescape | all versions | 1.5.8npm install shescape@1.5.8 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for shescape, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update shescape to 1.5.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-31179 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2022-31179 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2022-31179. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-31179 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2022-31179 across npm dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.