ariym whisper-node: OS command injection via filePath and language
Summary
whisper-node through version 1.1.1 is a Node.js library for local speech-to-text transcription. Attacker-controlled values for filePath or the language option are placed into a shell command string and executed, allowing arbitrary commands with the privileges of the Node.js process. The flaw is only reachable if an application passes untrusted input into whisper().
Affected
- ariym whisper-node, versions 0 through 1.1.1
- Package name according to the CNA record: whisper-node (npm)
Fixed in
Unknown. No fixed release or vendor advisory was found. PR #64 is referenced as a patch but its merge and release status could not be confirmed.
Workaround
- No vendor-published workaround found.
- Do not pass user-controlled file names or language values to whisper() without validation; restrict language to a fixed allowlist of codes.
- Store uploaded files under server-generated names.
- Run the transcription service as a low-privilege user, in a container or sandbox, without access to secrets.
Exploitation
- CISA SSVC: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
- No reports of exploitation in the wild and no public proof of concept were found in the sources reviewed.
Our recommendation
- Inventory customer applications that use whisper-node 1.1.1 or earlier (for example with npm ls whisper-node).
- Check whether any application exposes file upload or language input to users, and review internet-facing transcription endpoints first.
- Apply the input validation and privilege restrictions above until a fixed version is confirmed.
- Monitor the upstream repository and PR #64 and update once a fix is released.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- VulnCheck advisory www.vulncheck.com
- Vulnerable code (whisper.ts L58) github.com
- Vulnerable code (whisper.ts L8) github.com
- Pull request #64 github.com
- Package code (unpkg) unpkg.com
- Threat intel aggregator cve.threatint.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 31 Oct 2026, 02:04.
Original description (NVD)
Whisper-node through 1.1.1 contains an OS command injection vulnerability that allows attackers to execute commands by supplying crafted filePath or whisperOptions.language values to whisper(). Attackers can inject shell metacharacters or $() substitution into the command string built by createCppCommand() and run via shelljs exec() to execute commands with Node.js process privileges.
NVD references (5)
- https://github.com/ariym/whisper-node/blob/c72944cfa48f5c74662ff17ee2dc1d5f7624393e/src/whisper.ts#L58
- https://github.com/ariym/whisper-node/blob/c72944cfa48f5c74662ff17ee2dc1d5f7624393e/src/whisper.ts#L8
- https://github.com/ariym/whisper-node/pull/64
- https://unpkg.com/whisper-node@1.1.1/dist/index.js
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/whisper-node-through-1.1.1-os-command-injection-via-filepath-and-language
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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