{"id":"CVE-2026-112944","aliases":["GHSA-r825-w8mm-5pxw"],"url":"https://o3.security/vulnerability/CVE-2026-112944","summary":"launch-editor: Editor CLI flag misinterpretation causing arbitrary command execution for some editors","details":"### 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.","published":"2026-10-20T14:57:38.728Z","modified":"2026-10-24T02:50:10.978361003Z","cvss":null,"epss":null,"cisaKev":null,"exploitsKnown":null,"affectedPackages":[{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"launch-editor","fixedVersion":"2.14.2"},{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"vite","fixedVersion":"8.3.3"},{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"vite","fixedVersion":"8.2.4"},{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"vite","fixedVersion":"8.1.6"},{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"vite","fixedVersion":"7.3.7"},{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"vite","fixedVersion":"6.4.4"},{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"vite-plus","fixedVersion":"1.1.0"}],"fix":{"url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/commit/f6e6701bb1f16f2dd242b321374f1b6cca6eb6d4","label":"vitejs/launch-editor@f6e6701"},"references":[{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/releases/tag/v2.14.2"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/112xxx/CVE-2026-112944.json"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/security/advisories/GHSA-r825-w8mm-5pxw"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-112944"},{"type":"FIX","url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/commit/f6e6701bb1f16f2dd242b321374f1b6cca6eb6d4"},{"type":"FIX","url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor/pull/156"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/vitejs/launch-editor"}],"provenance":{"sources":["OSV.dev","FIRST.org (EPSS)"],"lastVerified":"2026-10-24T02:50:10.978361003Z"}}