{"id":"CVE-2026-76228","aliases":["GHSA-pfq2-hh62-7m96"],"url":"https://o3.security/vulnerability/CVE-2026-76228","summary":"Renovate before 42.68.5 Remote Code Execution via Gradle Wrapper","details":"### Summary\nRenovate can be tricked into executing shell code while updating the Gradle Wrapper. A malicious `distributionUrl` in `gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties` can lead to command execution in the Renovate runtime.\n\n### Details\nWhen Renovate handles Gradle Wrapper artifacts, it may run a wrapper update command such as:\n- `./gradlew :wrapper --gradle-distribution-url <value>`\n\nIn the observed behavior, Renovate executes this via a shell (e.g., `/bin/sh -c ...`).  \nIf `distributionUrl` contains shell command substitution syntax like `$(...)`, the shell evaluates it **before** Gradle validates/parses the URL.\n\nAfter that, Gradle attempts to parse the URL as a URI and fails with `URISyntaxException`, but the shell substitution has already executed.\n\nThis is reproducible even when `allowScripts` is disabled (default is OFF), because this execution happens as part of Gradle Wrapper artifact handling rather than “repository install scripts”.\n\nPrerequisites / attack conditions:\n- The attacker must be able to get a malicious `gradle-wrapper.properties` into a repository that Renovate scans (e.g., direct write access, or a maintainer merges an attacker’s change/PR).\n- Renovate must be configured to process Gradle Wrapper updates/artifacts for that repository (default behavior for the Gradle Wrapper manager).\n\n### PoC\n1. Create a repository with a Gradle Wrapper (`gradlew`, `gradlew.bat`, `gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar`, and `gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties`).\n2. Set `distributionUrl` in `gradle-wrapper.properties` to include `$(...)`.\n3. Run Renovate against the repository.\n4. Observe that a file is created during Renovate’s wrapper update step **before** Gradle fails with `URISyntaxException`.\n\nA [screen recording](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nveSCgyz4pKPCZuelqDD_xGEO00DXr4P/view) is attached showing end-to-end reproduction. In the demo, the payload creates `/tmp/passwd_dump` containing `/etc/passwd`, demonstrating that file read/exfiltration is possible within the Renovate execution context.\n\n### Impact\nThis allows arbitrary command execution in the Renovate runtime during Gradle Wrapper updates. Depending on deployment, this may expose credentials/tokens available to the bot and may allow an attacker to modify repositories or access internal resources reachable from the Renovate environment.\n\n### Remediation\n\nUpgrading to Renovate [42.68.5](https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/releases/tag/42.68.5) (2025-12-31) fixes this issue, and closes out other risks of shell evaluation for commands run by Renovate.\n\nIf using the `composer`, `yarn` (v1) or `flux` managers, please upgrade to [42.74.5](https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/releases/tag/42.74.5) (2026-01-08), as there were follow-up fixes to keep these managers working.","published":"2026-08-19T14:02:10.197Z","modified":"2026-10-28T02:30:24.117294159Z","cvss":null,"epss":null,"cisaKev":null,"exploitsKnown":null,"affectedPackages":[{"ecosystem":"npm","name":"renovate","fixedVersion":"42.68.5"}],"fix":null,"references":[{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/76xxx/CVE-2026-76228.json"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/security/advisories/GHSA-pfq2-hh62-7m96"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-76228"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/renovate-before-remote-code-execution-via-gradle-wrapper"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate"},{"type":"WEB","url":"https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/releases/tag/42.68.5"}],"provenance":{"sources":["OSV.dev","FIRST.org (EPSS)"],"lastVerified":"2026-10-28T02:30:24.117294159Z"}}