CVE-2026-45311: Hmbown CodeWhale remote code execution via run_tests tool

CVE-2026-45311 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.6 · Published 2026-05-28

DeepSeek TUI is a terminal-based interface for interacting with AI models. A vulnerability exists where the tool can be tricked into running malicious code automatically when a user opens a specially crafted project repository. This could allow an attacker to steal sensitive data, access credentials, or take control of the user's computer without any warning or approval prompts.

Technologies: deepseek-tui (crates.io), Hmbown CodeWhale. Vendors: crates.io, Hmbown.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-45311 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-45311 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-45311?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.6, published 28 May 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
deepseek-tui (crates.io) >= 0.3.0, < 0.8.23; deepseek-tui-cli (crates.io) >= 0.3.0, < 0.8.23; Hmbown CodeWhale 0.3.0 to 0.8.22.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-45311?
A patch was published on 2026-05-14: Version 0.8.23 released Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-45311 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-45311?
Check whether you run deepseek-tui (crates.io), deepseek-tui-cli (crates.io) or Hmbown CodeWhale 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

The vulnerability is a code injection flaw (CWE-94) in the `run_tests` tool of DeepSeek TUI. The tool was designed to execute `cargo test` with `ApprovalRequirement::Auto`, bypassing the standard user confirmation gate used for other shell commands. An attacker can exploit this by placing malicious code in Rust test files, build scripts, or procedural macros within a repository. Furthermore, by using a specially crafted `AGENTS.md` file, an attacker can use prompt injection to instruct the AI model to automatically trigger the `run_tests` tool upon session start. This results in arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running the TUI. The issue is fixed in version 0.8.23 by requiring manual approval for test execution.

Affected products

  • Hmbown/CodeWhale deepseek-tui >= 0.3.0, < 0.8.23
  • Hmbown/CodeWhale deepseek-tui-cli >= 0.3.0, < 0.8.23

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-45311
  • GHSA-wx44-2q6h-j6p8

Timeline

  • 2026-05-09: disclosed
  • 2026-05-14: advisory: GHSA-wx44-2q6h-j6p8 published
  • 2026-05-14: patched: Version 0.8.23 released

References

This page as Markdown. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.