GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v
MEDIUMExfiltration of hashed SMB credentials on Windows via file:// redirect
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.
Blast Radius
Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.
electronnpmDescription
Impact
When following a redirect, Electron delays a check for redirecting to file:// URLs from other schemes. The contents of the file is not available to the renderer following the redirect, but if the redirect target is a SMB URL such as file://some.website.com/, then in some cases, Windows will connect to that server and attempt NTLM authentication, which can include sending hashed credentials.
Patches
This issue has been fixed in all current stable versions of Electron. Specifically, these versions contain the fixes:
- 21.0.0-beta.1
- 20.0.1
- 19.0.11
- 18.3.7
We recommend all apps upgrade to the latest stable version of Electron.
Workarounds
If upgrading isn't possible, this issue can be addressed without upgrading by preventing redirects to file:// URLs in the WebContents.on('will-redirect') event, for all WebContents:
app.on('web-contents-created', (e, webContents) => {
webContents.on('will-redirect', (e, url) => {
if (/^file:/.test(url)) e.preventDefault()
})
})
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, email us at [email protected].
Credit
Thanks to user @coolcoolnoworries for reporting this issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | electron | all versions | 18.3.7 |
| 📦npm | electron | ≥ 20.0.0-beta.1&&< 20.0.1 | 20.0.1 |
| 📦npm | electron | ≥ 19.0.0-beta.1&&< 19.0.11 | 19.0.11 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for electron. 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 electron to 18.3.7 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v 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 GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v 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 GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.