CVE-2026-32094: Shescape escape() bracket glob expansion bypass on Bash, BusyBox, and Dash

CVE-2026-32094 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4 · Published 2026-03-11

Shescape is a Node.js library that sanitizes untrusted arguments before passing them to shell commands. A flaw in its escape() method fails to properly handle square-bracket glob syntax on Bash, BusyBox, and Dash shells, allowing an attacker to expand a single argument into multiple filesystem matches. This can leak directory listings, target unintended files, or alter command behavior in ways the application did not intend.

Technologies: shescape (npm). Vendors: npm.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-32094 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-32094 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-32094?
Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4, published 11 March 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
shescape (npm) SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=2.1.10.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-32094?
Yes. shescape (npm): upgrade to 2.1.10 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-32094 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-32094?
Check whether you run shescape (npm) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • shescape (npm): upgrade to 2.1.10 or later
    npm install shescape@2.1.10

Technical details

The vulnerability is an incomplete input validation flaw in Shescape's escape() method. The vulnerable code escapes shell metacharacters like *, /, and ? but omits square brackets [ and ] from the character set requiring escaping. When escape(input) is called with a string like "secret[12]", it returns the unquoted literal "secret[12]", which the shell then interprets as a glob pattern matching files named secret1 and secret2. An attacker can craft bracket patterns like ".n[dpv]mrc" to expand into multiple directory entries. The vulnerability affects all versions before 2.1.10 and requires no authentication or special privileges—only that the application uses Shescape's escape() or escapeAll() methods with Bash, BusyBox, or Dash and directly interpolates the result into a shell command string. The patch in v2.1.10 adds [ and ] to the escape character set.

Affected products

  • Shescape Shescape <2.1.10

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-32094
  • GHSA-9jfh-9xrq-4vwm

Timeline

  • 2026-03-11: disclosed: GHSA-9jfh-9xrq-4vwm published
  • 2026-03-13: patched: Version 2.1.10 released with fix

References

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