CVE-2026-111451 in Wheels
Summary
by MITRE • 10/16/2026
Wheels CLI 4.0.0 through 4.1.1 insufficiently validates or escapes caller-supplied values and package contents. Deploy release/version/rollback values can execute shell commands on deploy hosts as the SSH user and on the CI runner during builds. Package removal and destroy paths can delete unintended files; package extraction can overwrite other vendor files; generator names can write outside the project or inject executable CFML into generated code. Inputs may originate from CI variables, branch names, packages or an AI agent using the CLI's MCP tools. Also relevant are unencoded display properties in generated scaffold show views since 4.1.0 and in generated admin views, permitting stored XSS, and stale process-ID handling in RustCFML server commands that can terminate an unrelated process. This is fixed in 4.1.2; existing affected generated views also require the documented edit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2026
The Wheels CLI framework versions 4.0.0 through 4.1.1 contain a critical cluster of vulnerabilities stemming from insufficient validation and escaping of caller-supplied values, package contents, and configuration inputs. This systemic lack of sanitization affects multiple operational pathways within the toolchain, including deployment workflows, package management operations, code generation utilities, and server-side command execution modules. The root cause lies in the framework's failure to properly isolate user-controlled data from system-level commands and file paths, creating a broad attack surface that spans both local development environments and continuous integration pipelines.
A primary concern is the ability of an attacker to execute arbitrary shell commands on deploy hosts or CI runners through manipulated release, version, or rollback values. When these inputs are processed without adequate escaping, they can be interpreted as executable instructions by the underlying operating system shell during deployment scripts. This vulnerability allows for remote code execution under the context of the SSH user account responsible for deployments or the specific service account running the CI build processes. Such access grants adversaries significant control over the infrastructure, potentially leading to data exfiltration, lateral movement within the network, or complete compromise of the hosting environment.
Beyond command injection, the package management subsystem exhibits severe file system integrity issues. The removal and destroy operations are susceptible to path traversal attacks, enabling attackers to delete unintended files outside the intended project directory structure. Similarly, during package extraction processes, there is a risk of overwriting critical vendor files with maliciously crafted archives. These actions can destabilize the application environment by corrupting dependencies or removing essential system components, leading to denial of service conditions or introducing backdoors through modified library files that are subsequently loaded into memory.
The code generation features present additional risks related to both file system security and web application vulnerabilities. Generator names used in scaffolding processes can write output outside the designated project boundaries if input validation is bypassed, potentially allowing an attacker to overwrite configuration files or inject executable ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) directly into generated source code. This capability facilitates persistent malware installation within the application's core logic. Furthermore, starting from version 4.1.0, unencoded display properties in automatically generated scaffold show views and admin interfaces introduce stored cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. These flaws allow attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute when administrators or users view specific records, compromising session integrity and potentially stealing sensitive administrative credentials or performing actions on behalf of authenticated users.
In the realm of server-side operations, the RustCFML module suffers from stale process-ID handling in its command execution functions. This flaw can lead to race conditions where a newly spawned process inherits an outdated identifier associated with a previous operation. Consequently, commands intended for one target may inadvertently terminate unrelated processes running on the same host. This lack of proper resource isolation poses a significant stability risk and could be exploited by malicious actors or misconfigured CI pipelines to disrupt critical services or cause denial of service conditions by killing essential background daemons or worker processes.
These vulnerabilities map directly to several well-known industry standards, highlighting their severity and commonality in insecure software development practices. The command injection aspects align with CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command, while the file system issues correspond to CWE-22 Path Traversal and CWE-436 Interpretation Conflict. The stored XSS vulnerabilities are classified under CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, a staple of web application security flaws. From a tactical perspective, these weaknesses facilitate ATT&CK techniques such as T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter for execution, T1224 Version Control Database Manipulation if source control is compromised via the CLI, and T1078 Valid Accounts through credential theft via XSS or SSH compromise.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate upgrading to Wheels CLI version 4.1.2, which addresses the core validation flaws in command execution and file handling. For environments still running affected versions, it is imperative to apply the documented edits for existing generated views to neutralize the stored XSS vectors by ensuring all dynamic content is properly encoded before rendering. Additionally, developers should implement strict input validation on any CI variables or branch names that feed into CLI operations, treating them as untrusted data sources regardless of their origin from human operators or AI agents utilizing MCP tools. Implementing least-privilege principles for SSH users and CI runner accounts can further limit the blast radius in case a vulnerability is exploited, ensuring that even if command injection occurs, the attacker cannot escalate privileges to root or access sensitive infrastructure resources.