---
title: "CVE-2026-45374: DeepSeek TUI: task_create Insecure Defaults Enable RCE via Prompt Injection in Project Files"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-45374/
description: "CVE-2026-45374 (deepseek-tui (crates.io (Rust))): CodeWhale is a DeepSeek + MiMo coding agent in terminal. Prior to 0.8.26, the taskcreate tool spawns…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-05-28
date_modified: 2026-06-09
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-45374"
kev: false
cvss: 9.6
epss: 0.00466
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-45374: DeepSeek TUI: task_create Insecure Defaults Enable RCE via Prompt Injection in Project Files

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 0.5% , percentile 39: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 39% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs a user to click or open something. Phishing makes that realistic, but it is not wormable.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes deepseek-tui (crates.io (Rust)) < 0.8.26, fixed in 0.8.26 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

CodeWhale is a DeepSeek + MiMo coding agent in terminal. Prior to 0.8.26, the taskcreate tool spawns durable sub-agents that inherit two insecure defaults, allowshell defaults to true (config.rs:1499: self.allowshell.unwrapor(true)) and autoapprove defaults to true (taskmanager.rs:297: autoapprove: Some(true)). When a user approves a taskcreate call (which requires ApprovalRequirement::Required), they approve what appears to be a benign work prompt. However, the spawned sub-agent silently receives unrestricted, unapproved shell access. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.26.

## Affected packages

- crates.io (Rust) `deepseek-tui` < 0.8.26 → fixed: 0.8.26

## Affected products (CVE record)

- Hmbown CodeWhale: < 0.8.26

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 3.1: 9.6 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.6 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.47% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 39.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-72w5-pf8h-xfp4](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-72w5-pf8h-xfp4)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-45374](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45374)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-45374](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-45374)
- [github.com](https://github.com/Hmbown/CodeWhale/security/advisories/GHSA-72w5-pf8h-xfp4)
- [github.com](https://github.com/Hmbown/DeepSeek-TUI/releases/tag/v0.8.26)
- [github.com](https://github.com/Hmbown/DeepSeek-TUI/security/advisories/GHSA-72w5-pf8h-xfp4)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-45374/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt