CVE-2022-29257: Vulnerability in Electron AutoUpdater Module
Summary
CVE-2022-29257: AutoUpdater module fails to validate certain nested components of the bundle. Affects electron across 4 version ranges.
< 15.5.0
>= 16.0.0, < 16.2.0
>= 17.0.0, < 17.2.0
>= 18.0.0-beta.1, < 18.0.0-beta.6
Fixed in 4 releases; the minimum fixed version depends 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. The AutoUpdater module in Electron enables automatic updates for Electron-based applications. It ensures that users have the latest version of the application by checking for updates and downloading them from a designated server. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in the AutoUpdater module that allows attackers with control over the update server or storage to serve maliciously crafted update packages. These packages can pass the code signing validation check but contain malicious code in certain components.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the AutoUpdater module of Electron allows attackers to exploit the update process and deliver malicious code to users. By compromising the update server or storage, attackers can serve update packages that appear legitimate but contain malicious code. This can lead to various security risks, including remote code execution, data theft, and unauthorized access to user systems. It's important to note that exploiting this vulnerability requires significant privileges in the auto updating infrastructure and depends on the security measures implemented in the infrastructure.
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.
-
< 15.5.015.5.0npm install electron@15.5.0 -
>= 16.0.0, < 16.2.016.2.0npm install electron@16.2.0 -
>= 17.0.0, < 17.2.017.2.0npm install electron@17.2.0 -
>= 18.0.0-beta.1, < 18.0.0-beta.618.0.0-beta.6npm install electron@18.0.0-beta.6
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Workaround
There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. It is crucial to update to a patched version of Electron to address the issue.
Conclusion
The vulnerability in the AutoUpdater module of Electron exposes users to the risk of installing malicious code through compromised update packages. To protect against this vulnerability, it is crucial to update to a patched version of Electron. The recommended versions are 18.0.0-beta.6, 17.2.0, 16.2.0, or 15.5.0. Updating to these versions ensures that the AutoUpdater module properly validates all components of the update bundle, reducing the risk of serving and installing malicious code. For further support on vulnerability remediation, contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
Electron is an open-source framework that allows developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The AutoUpdater module in Electron enables automatic updates for Electron-based applications. It checks for updates and downloads them from a designated server to ensure users have the latest version of the application.
The vulnerability allows attackers with control over the update server or storage to serve maliciously crafted update packages. These packages can pass the code signing validation check but contain malicious code in certain components. When users install these updates, the malicious code can be executed on their systems.
The potential risks of this vulnerability include remote code execution, data theft, and unauthorized access to user systems. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability to deliver and execute malicious code on user systems.
No, there are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. It is essential to update to a patched version of Electron to mitigate the risk.
References
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