Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2026-26832: node-tesseract-ocr is vulnerable to OS Command Injection through unsanitized recognize() function parameter
node-tesseract-ocr is an npm package that provides a Node.js wrapper for Tesseract OCR.
CVSS 9.8 Critical EPSS 2.6% · p85
Should you act?
Critical and remotely reachable
No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- Not in CISA KEV, but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 2.6%, percentile 85: FIRST’s model estimates a 2.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 85% of all scored CVEs (elevated). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
node-tesseract-ocr(npm) <= 2.2.1, no fixed version listed. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
node-tesseract-ocr is an npm package that provides a Node.js wrapper for Tesseract OCR. In all versions through 2.2.1, the recognize() function in src/index.js is vulnerable to OS Command Injection. The file path parameter is concatenated into a shell command string and passed to childprocess.exec() without proper sanitization
From the GitHub advisory
node-tesseract-ocr is an npm package that provides a Node.js wrapper for Tesseract OCR. In all versions through 2.2.1, the recognize() function in src/index.js is vulnerable to OS Command Injection. The file path parameter is concatenated into a shell command string and passed to childprocess.exec() without proper sanitization
Weakness type: CWE-78.
Product: node-tesseract-ocr (npm) · Assigned by: mitre · Published: 2026-03-25
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | node-tesseract-ocr | <= 2.2.1 | none listed |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| n/a | n/a | see vendor advisory |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| mitre | 3.1 | 9.8 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AC:L/AV:N/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/S:U/UI:N |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- Attack complexity: low
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Privileges required: none (no login)
- Scope: unchanged
- User interaction: none
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc, automatable no, technical impact partial.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 2.60% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 85.
Timeline
- — CVE record last updated
- — CVE record published by mitre
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-8j44-735h-w4w2 published (critical)
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-8j44-735h-w4w2 github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2026-26832 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2026-26832 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- npmjs.com npmjs.com
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com