CVE-2026-54257 — Electron Buffer heap overflow from byte length miscalculation
Electron is a framework for writing cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. From 42.3.1 until 42.3.3, Buffer performs incorrect byte length calculations resulting in heap buffer under/overflow. Most apps will crash and some may perform incorrect buffer allocations in the Node.js Buffer API resulting in unexpected truncation or allocation. This vulnerability is fixed in 42.3.3.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+5
- Technical severity (critical)+10
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Electron Electron).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.3 | CVSS 4.0 | Critical | — | — | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.3 | CVSS 4.0 | Critical | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.43%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Analysis and videos
CVE-2026-54257: Electron Buffer heap overflow from byte length miscalculation
Electron, a framework for cross-platform desktop applications, has a critical flaw in its Buffer component where byte lengths are calculated incorrectly, causing heap buffer underflows or overflows. The record states the issue affects versions from 42.3.1 until 42.3.3 and is fixed in 42.3.3. The sources consulted show no confirmed active exploitation.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · electron/electron
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 9.3
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
1 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-102672 Electron: Local race condition in Squirrel.Mac update installation on macOS 2d
- High CVE-2026-102677 Electron: Sandboxed preload code cache can be poisoned by a compromised renderer 16d
- Critical CVE-2026-102676 Electron: <webview> can enable Node.js integration in Web Workers despite embedder restrictions 16d
- Medium CVE-2026-102673 Electron drops inherited HTML sandbox restrictions for popups opened through OpenURLFromTab 16d
- High CVE-2026-102675 Electron: File and HTTP protocol handlers allow cross-origin reads without corsEnabled 16d
- Medium CVE-2026-102674 Electron: Windows opened from a sandboxed top-level document do not inherit its sandbox restrictions 16d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-54257 is "Electron Buffer heap overflow from byte length miscalculation", rated Critical. It affects Electron (Electron); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 9.3 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.43% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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