# CVE-2026-44462: Zed code editor command injection via Bash expansion in terminal tool

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44462-zed-code-editor-command-injection-via-bash-expansion-in-terminal  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-28. Updated: 2026-05-28  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-44462 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.4 · Published 2026-05-28

Zed is a high-performance code editor that includes an AI-powered terminal tool. A security flaw in the terminal's permission system allows an attacker to bypass command restrictions and execute unauthorized code on a user's machine. This could lead to the theft of sensitive data or the installation of malicious software if a user interacts with a malicious AI prompt or script.

Technologies: [Zed Industries Zed](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/zed). Vendors: [Zed Industries](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/zed-industries).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-44462 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-44462 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-44462?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.4, published 28 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Zed Industries Zed < 0.229.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-44462?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-44462 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-44462?** Check whether you run Zed Industries Zed 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.

## Technical details

A vulnerability in Zed's terminal tool permission system allows for an allowlist bypass via Bash variable expansion chaining (specifically using the ${var@P} operator). The root cause is that Zed's regex-based validation only inspects the initial command token (e.g., 'echo') and fails to account for nested shell expansions that occur during execution. An attacker who can influence AI agent tool calls can craft a payload that executes arbitrary commands on Linux systems, even if those commands are not explicitly permitted. This issue is specific to Linux environments as the default version of Bash on macOS does not support the vulnerable substitution syntax. The vulnerability is fixed in version 0.229.0.

## Affected products

- Zed Industries Zed < 0.229.0

## Timeline

- 2026-05-08: advisory: GitHub security advisory published
- 2026-05-28: disclosed: NVD publication date

## References

- [https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/security/advisories/GHSA-rqq3-p6x4-q866](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/security/advisories/GHSA-rqq3-p6x4-q866)

## Related threats

- [Zed Industries Zed command injection in terminal tool permissions](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44466-zed-industries-zed-command-injection-in-terminal-tool-permissions)
- [Zed Industries Zed terminal tool permission bypass via environment variables](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44463-zed-industries-zed-terminal-tool-permission-bypass-via)
- [Zed code editor command injection in SSH and WSL remote sessions](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44461-zed-code-editor-command-injection-in-ssh-and-wsl-remote-sessions)