Executive brief
Trilium Notes is a hierarchical note-taking application. A security flaw in its desktop version allows a local attacker to trick users into granting sensitive macOS permissions (like camera, microphone, or folder access) by making the request appear as if it is coming from the trusted Trilium application. This could lead to the unauthorized collection of private data or media if a user is misled into clicking "Allow" on a spoofed system prompt.
Technical details
The vulnerability exists because the Electron 'RunAsNode' fuse is enabled in production builds. This configuration allows the application to be launched in a special Node.js mode using the '-e' flag, which can execute arbitrary system commands with the application's identity and inherited entitlements. A local attacker can spawn a subprocess using this method to request TCC-protected resources (such as the camera, microphone, screen recording, or protected folders like ~/Documents). Because macOS treats the subprocess as part of the parent Trilium application, the resulting system permission prompt displays the trusted app's name, facilitating social engineering and bypassing the intended security boundaries of the macOS TCC framework. The issue is resolved in version 0.102.2 by disabling the RunAsNode fuse.
Affected products
- TriliumNext Trilium Notes <= 0.102.1
Timeline
- 2026-04-05: patched: Version 0.102.2 released with security fixes.
- 2026-05-11: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-66pm-8hvq-2wwx published.
- 2026-05-20: disclosed: CVE-2026-39309 published to the NVD.