Electron subject to Exfiltration of hashed SMB credentials on Windows via file:// redirect

Description

The Electron framework enables writing cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. In versions prior to 21.0.0-beta.1, 20.0.1, 19.0.11, and 18.3.7, Electron is vulnerable to Exposure of Sensitive Information. When following a redirect, Electron delays a check for redirecting to file:// URLs from other schemes. The contents of the file is not available to the renderer following the redirect, but if the redirect target is a SMB URL such as `file://some.website.com/`, then in some cases, Windows will connect to that server and attempt NTLM authentication, which can include sending hashed credentials.This issue has been patched in versions: 21.0.0-beta.1, 20.0.1, 19.0.11, and 18.3.7. Users are recommended to upgrade to the latest stable version of Electron. If upgrading isn't possible, this issue can be addressed without upgrading by preventing redirects to file:// URLs in the `WebContents.on('will-redirect')` event, for all WebContents as a workaround.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

0.69% · top 47% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: none · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: partial

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.2.

Weakness

• CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-522 and its CVEs
• CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-200 and its CVEs

Affected products

• electron · electron

  • affected >= v21.0.0-nightly.20220526, < 21.0.0-beta.1
  • affected >= 20.0.0-beta.1, < 20.0.1
  • affected >= 19.0.0-beta.1, < 19.0.11
  • affected < 18.3.7

Affected packages

From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.

• npmelectronGHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v (opens in a new tab)

References (1)

• https://github.com/electron/electron/security/advisories/GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v (opens in a new tab)x_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisory GHSA-p2jh-44qj-pf2v (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2022-36077](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2022-36077.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2022-36077)

Record last updated 23 Apr 2025, 16:40 UTC.