---
title: "CVE-2026-73414: Shescape: Shell injection via unescaped parentheses on Windows with CMD"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-73414/
description: "CVE-2026-73414 (shescape (npm)): Shescape is a simple shell escape library for JavaScript. Prior to 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, getEscapeFunction in…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-08-12
date_modified: 2026-08-14
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-73414"
kev: false
cvss: 9.2
epss: 0.00889
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-73414: Shescape: Shell injection via unescaped parentheses on Windows with CMD

**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?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.9% , percentile 59: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.9% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 59% of all scored CVEs (moderate). 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 shescape (npm) < 2.1.14, fixed in 2.1.14 ; shescape (npm) >= 3.0.0, < 3.0.1, fixed in 3.0.1 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

Shescape is a simple shell escape library for JavaScript. Prior to 2.1.14 and 3.0.1, getEscapeFunction in src/internal/win/cmd.js does not escape ( and ) when applications use the escape or escapeAll APIs on Windows with shell set to cmd.exe, or with shell set to true when CMD is the default. An attacker-controlled argument can break out of a parenthesized CMD construct and inject shell syntax depending on the original command, resulting in arbitrary command execution. This issue is fixed in versions 2.1.14 and 3.0.1.

## Affected packages

- npm `shescape` < 2.1.14 → fixed: 2.1.14
- npm `shescape` >= 3.0.0, < 3.0.1 → fixed: 3.0.1

## Affected products (CVE record)

- ericcornelissen shescape: < 2.1.14, >= 3.0.0, < 3.0.1

## Severity

- GitHub_M CVSS 4.0: 9.2 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.2 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.89% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 59.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-73414](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-73414)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-73414](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-73414)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/security/advisories/GHSA-w4hw-qcx7-56pr)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/2649)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/pull/2651)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/commit/43d70b59d09bbe5c3fd02ef08b3a123e977ed9de)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/commit/b4b34c394e7f9da2775bb75381066b9a228c425f)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v2.1.14)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/releases/tag/v3.0.1)
- [github.com](https://github.com/ericcornelissen/shescape/blob/dea8893a5877893d8d4923dbf253080e08899e6d/docs/migration.md)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-73414/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt