CVE-2020-4077: Context isolation bypass via contextBridge in Electron
Summary
CVE-2020-4077: Context isolation bypass via contextBridge in Electron. Affects electron across 2 version ranges.
< 7.2.4
>= 8.0.0, < 8.2.4
Fixed in 7.2.4 or 8.2.4, depending on the release line you run. How to fix ↓
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Background
Electron is an open-source framework that allows developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It provides a runtime environment that combines the Chromium rendering engine and the Node.js runtime. Electron applications can access both the main world context (renderer) and the isolated Electron context. This vulnerability affects Electron applications that use both contextIsolation and contextBridge.
Vulnerability Detail
This vulnerability allows code running in the main world context in the renderer to bypass context isolation and access the isolated Electron context. This means that an attacker can perform privileged actions in the isolated context, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data leakage, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 7.7, indicating a high severity level.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 45.0.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
npm install electron@45.0.0Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the versions below are the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you can't move to the latest
The minimum fixed version depends on the release line you run.
-
< 7.2.47.2.4npm install electron@7.2.4 -
>= 8.0.0, < 8.2.48.2.4npm install electron@8.2.4
Tip — Not sure which release line you're on? Vulert can find the fix for the version you are using. Scan free →
Workaround
There are no app-side workarounds available for this vulnerability. Updating the Electron version is the only solution.
Conclusion
The context isolation bypass vulnerability in Electron can allow an attacker to perform privileged actions in the isolated context of an Electron application. To mitigate this vulnerability, it is crucial to update the Electron version to one of the fixed versions. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for electron →
FAQ
The vulnerability affects Electron versions from 0.0.0 to 7.2.3, 8.0.0 to 8.2.3, and 9.0.0-beta.1 to 9.0.0-beta.20.
Context isolation is a security feature in Electron that separates the main world context (renderer) from the isolated Electron context. It prevents direct access between these contexts, enhancing application security.
contextBridge is an API in Electron that allows controlled communication between the main world context and the isolated Electron context. It provides a secure way to expose selected functionality from the isolated context to the renderer process.
No, this vulnerability requires the attacker to have the ability to run arbitrary code in the renderer process. It cannot be exploited remotely without prior access to the target system.
There are no known instances of this vulnerability being exploited in the wild at the time of this advisory.
References
Related vulnerabilities
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