CVE-2024-40641
HIGHCVE-2024-40641 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.4) OS Command Injection vulnerability in github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2024-40641 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Unsigned code template execution through workflows in projectdiscovery/nuclei
Real-World Exposure
github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Go packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Nuclei is a fast and customizable vulnerability scanner based on simple YAML based DSL. In affected versions it a way to execute code template without -code option and signature has been discovered. Some web applications inherit from Nuclei and allow users to edit and execute workflow files. In this case, users can execute arbitrary commands. (Although, as far as I know, most web applications use -t to execute). This issue has been addressed in version 3.3.0. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐹Go | github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3 | all versions | 3.3.0 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v3 to 3.3.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-40641 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 pinpoints whether CVE-2024-40641 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2024-40641. 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-2024-40641 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2024-40641 across Go dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.