CVE-2026-110643 in transcribe2texts
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2026
transcribe2texts through 1.0.6 contains an OS command injection vulnerability that allows attackers to execute commands by supplying crafted audioPath values to transcribeAudio(). Attackers can inject $() or backtick substitution or a closing quote into the unescaped path passed to child_process.exec() to run commands with Node.js process privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2026
The vulnerability identified in transcribe2texts versions through 1.0.6 represents a critical OS command injection flaw rooted in improper neutralization of special elements used in an operating system command, commonly classified under CWE-78. This security defect arises from the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input before incorporating it into shell commands executed by the Node.js runtime environment. Specifically, the vulnerability is triggered within the transcribeAudio function when processing audio files via the child_process.exec method. The core technical issue lies in the direct interpolation of the audioPath parameter without adequate escaping or validation mechanisms to prevent command interpretation beyond its intended scope as a file path string.
Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious input for the audioPath argument that includes shell metacharacters such as dollar signs with parentheses, backticks, or closing quotes designed to break out of the expected string context. By injecting sequences like $(command) or `command`, an attacker can terminate the original command and append arbitrary operating system commands. Because child_process.exec invokes a shell interpreter to execute these strings, the injected commands are processed by that shell rather than being treated as literal file paths. This allows for the execution of any valid OS command with the same privileges granted to the Node.js process running transcribe2texts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, potentially leading to complete system compromise depending on the context in which the application runs. If the service operates under a privileged account or within an environment where lateral movement is possible, such as a containerized deployment with elevated permissions, attackers could exfiltrate sensitive data, install backdoors, modify system configurations, or disrupt services. The ability to execute commands remotely via crafted audio file paths means that any user or external service capable of triggering the transcribeAudio function can become an entry point for full remote code execution. This undermines the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of both the host system and any data processed by the application.
Mitigation strategies must focus on eliminating the use of shell interpreters where possible and enforcing strict input validation if command execution is unavoidable. The most effective remediation involves replacing child_process.exec with safer alternatives such as child_process.spawn or child_process.execFile, which do not invoke a shell and therefore prevent the interpretation of metacharacters as commands. Additionally, developers should implement rigorous allow-listing for file paths to ensure that only expected characters are accepted and reject any input containing special symbols like $, `, ;, &, |, or quotes. Input validation should occur at multiple layers, including application-level sanitization before passing data to system calls, ensuring defense-in-depth against injection attacks aligned with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to command and script interpretation.