CVE-2026-75857

Received Received - Intake

Code Execution in CodeWhale via Auto-Approval Bypass

Publication date: 2026-08-18

Last updated on: 2026-08-19

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description

CodeWhale versions >= 0.8.41 and < 0.8.64 contain a vulnerability in the exec_shell_interact (alias exec_interact) tool, whose approval_requirement returns ApprovalRequirement::Auto. This overrides the default Required approval for code-executing tools, so LLM-controlled stdin is written into an already-approved long-running interactive shell (e.g., a python3 -i REPL, mysql, ssh, or sudo -i session) without any approval prompt. An attacker who can inject instructions via untrusted content the agent ingests (a fetched page, MCP result, or repo file) can cause commands to run at the privilege level of that approved process. Fixed in 0.8.64.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-18

Last Modified

2026-08-19

Generated

2026-09-07

AI Q&A

2026-08-18

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-06

NVD

CVE-2026-75857

EUVD

EUVD-2026-60964

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
codewhale	codewhale	From 0.8.41 (inc) to 0.8.64 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-269	The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects CodeWhale versions between 0.8.41 and 0.8.63. The exec_shell_interact tool incorrectly uses ApprovalRequirement::Auto, bypassing the normal approval prompt for commands. This allows LLM-controlled input to execute commands in an already-approved interactive shell without further user approval.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking the installed version of CodeWhale. Run 'npm list codewhale' or 'cargo list codewhale' depending on your installation method. If the version is between 0.8.41 and 0.8.63, the system is vulnerable. Additionally, review logs for unexpected command executions in interactive shells like Python REPL, MySQL, SSH, or sudo sessions.

Impact Analysis

An attacker can inject malicious commands through untrusted content like fetched web pages or repository files. These commands run at the privilege level of the approved shell, potentially leading to full system compromise if the shell has elevated privileges.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized code execution at elevated privilege levels, potentially violating data protection requirements under GDPR (e.g., unauthorized access to personal data) and HIPAA (e.g., unauthorized access to protected health information). The lack of approval prompts for injected commands may result in non-compliance with access control and audit logging mandates.

Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update CodeWhale to version 0.8.64 or later using 'npm update codewhale' or 'cargo update codewhale'. If updating is not possible, disable the exec_shell_interact tool in CodeWhale's configuration. Review and restrict access to interactive shells to minimize exposure.

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