CVE-2018-15685

GitHub Electron 1.7.15, 1.8.7, 2.0.7, and 3.0.0-beta.6, in certain scenarios involving IFRAME elements and "nativeWindowOpen: true" or "sandbox: true" options, is affected by a WebPreferences vulne...

Public exploit available. Not confirmed exploited in the wild yet. Fixed in 1.7.16.

CVSS 3.08.1High EPSS percentile96th10% chance in 30 days CISA KEVNot listedNo confirmed exploitation
Public exploit: 2 sources Fix1.7.16Upgrade to this build

Published 2018-08-23Updated 2024-11-21Sources: CVE.org, NVD, GitHub, BDU

NVD CVE.org

What to do

Find your product and version, then upgrade to the build on the right.

Npm ElectronAffected: ≥ 1.7.0, < 1.7.16Upgrade to: 1.7.16Stated by: GitHub advisory
ElectronAffected: 3.0.0-beta.6Upgrade to: not statedStated by: BDU

Versions as the sources state them. Full version matrix after sign-in

Steps

Written by AI from the record

Check whether your business uses GitHub Electron versions 1.7.15, 1.8.7, 2.0.7, or 3.0.0-beta.6 (e.g., in your app’s package/app version or build settings).
If you use those Electron versions, confirm whether your app enables nativeWindowOpen: true or sandbox: true in webPreferences and uses iframe elements (or loads iframe content from the web).
Upgrade Electron to a fixed version: 1.7.16 (or later), 1.8.8 (or later), 2.0.8 (or later), or 3.0.0-beta.7 (or later).
If you cannot upgrade right away, reduce exposure by removing/avoiding iframe usage and/or disabling the risky webPreferences options in the affected Electron configuration, then plan the upgrade immediately after.

npm install electron@^1.7.16

Usually a quick update

Is your organisation exposed?Request an assessment to establish which checks fit your systems.

What it is

From the CVE record

Electron webPreferences vulnerability can be used to perform remote code execution

In plain language

Written by AI from the record

CVE-2018-15685 is a serious Electron browser flaw that can let an attacker run code on a computer if (and only if) you’re using specific Electron versions and your app uses iframe content with either `nativeWindowOpen: true` or `sandbox: true` turned on; most small businesses won’t be affected unless you ship or run a custom Electron app in those versions.

Unauthenticated remote code execution in affected GitHub Electron versions (1.7.15, 1.8.7, 2.0.7, 3.0.0-beta.6) can occur in specific IFRAME handling scenarios when `nativeWindowOpen: true` or `sandbox: true` webPreferences are enabled; the attacker triggers it by manipulating frame-related behavior in the WebPreferences configuration.

If you're affected

Full takeover of the host
Malware installation on servers
Operational disruption
Data theft from local apps

What is it

Think of Electron as a desktop app that bundles a web browser. This vulnerability is like a special “escape hatch” in how that browser handles embedded web frames (iframes) when certain security settings are turned on.
If a malicious website or content matches the exact conditions, it may be able to run code on your computer.

Who is affected

This matters if you run or ship a desktop application built with GitHub Electron versions 1.7.15, 1.8.7, 2.0.7, or 3.0.0-beta.6.
It’s specifically a risk only when your app uses iframe elements and also has nativeWindowOpen: true or sandbox: true enabled in webPreferences; it is not considered reachable in the default configuration.
Reachability gate: only a risk in those exact configuration/scenario conditions—there’s no requirement for an attacker login to attempt it, but you still need the vulnerable setup to be present in the Electron app.

How urgent is it

This is a high-severity issue (but with a narrow trigger) and public exploit code is available, so attackers can target it when the exact iframe + webPreferences conditions are met.
Given it’s not reliably reachable in the default configuration, your urgency depends on whether your Electron version and configuration match the vulnerable scenario.

What to do — in detail

Inventory Electron usage
- Find where Electron is declared in your app (for example, your build/package configuration) and confirm the exact Electron version in use.
- Identify whether any part of the app loads or renders untrusted web content inside iframe elements.
Check the vulnerable configuration
- Search the codebase/config for Electron webPreferences settings.
- Confirm whether nativeWindowOpen: true or sandbox: true is enabled.
- Confirm whether the vulnerable scenario uses iframe elements (especially if frames load content that could be influenced by an attacker).
Compare to fixed versions and upgrade
- Electron is fixed in:
  - 1.7.16
  - 1.8.8
  - 2.0.8
  - 3.0.0-beta.7
- Upgrade to the fixed version line that matches your current Electron major/minor branch.
- After upgrading, re-test any features that use iframe content and the webPreferences settings to ensure the app still behaves correctly.
If you cannot upgrade immediately (temporary mitigation)
- Remove or avoid iframe usage for any content that could be attacker-controlled.
- Disable or change the specific webPreferences options (nativeWindowOpen: true or sandbox: true) where feasible for the affected code paths.
- Treat this as a short-term stopgap only; plan a full Electron upgrade as the real fix.
What to monitor
- Watch for unusual behavior related to web content rendering (unexpected navigations, new windows/requests, or spawned processes) in the time leading up to and after any upgrade.

Note on KEV: This CVE is not listed as KEV (CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities), but public exploit availability means you should not rely on “not in KEV” as safety.

Technical context

Severity is High (CVSS 8.1). The weakness is categorized as CWE-1188.
Attack mechanism: remote code execution is possible by manipulating frame handling behavior when Electron’s webPreferences include nativeWindowOpen: true or sandbox: true in the context of IFRAME elements.
Authentication: none required.
Exploit status: public exploit available (2 known). KEV status: not listed in CISA KEV.
EPSS was predicted at 9.3% with a flat trend, but because exploitation is publicly available, the operational takeaway is to address it based on your real-world Electron version and configuration rather than prediction alone.
Fix: upgrade Electron to 1.7.16, 1.8.8, 2.0.8, or 3.0.0-beta.7 and verify that iframe usage and the relevant webPreferences settings are no longer in the vulnerable combination.

This is a general assessment based on public vulnerability data. It does not account for your specific infrastructure — when in doubt, consult a security specialist.

Exploitation

Where each signal puts this CVE on the scale from published to confirmed exploited.

EPSS96th

Public exploit

CISA KEV

Not in the catalog. CISA has not confirmed exploitation.

Public exploits

2 sources with a proof of concept or module.

Exploit links, PoCs and Metasploit modules after sign-in

EPSS

10% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, which ranks it in the 96th percentile of scored CVEs.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST.org. A probability, not a confirmation.

Lifecycle

The patch came 471 days before any public exploit.

2026-09-23EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-09-21EPSS band changemoderate → 0epss band change
2026-09-06EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-09-05EPSS band changemoderate → 0epss band change
2026-08-31EPSS band change0 → moderateepss band change
2026-08-29EPSS band changemoderate → low

Affected products

npmpackage-ecosystem
- electronOSS Libraries
Electronpackage-ecosystemaka electron-builder, packager
- ElectronLibraryOSS Libraries / generic-library
electronjsoss-projectaka electron
- electronMixedOSS Libraries / generic-library

And 1 more affected product. See all after sign-in

Technical detail

CVSS 3.0 vector

Open in the CVSS calculator

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Scored 8.1 by NVD.

How it is reached

Attack Vector NetworkExploitable remotely over the network without any special conditions
Attack Complexity HighRequires specific conditions like a race condition or non-default configuration
Privileges Required NoneNo authentication required — anyone can exploit this
User Interaction NoneNo user interaction needed — fully automated exploitation

Scope

Scope UnchangedImpact is limited to the vulnerable component itself

Impact if exploited

Confidentiality HighTotal information disclosure — all data in the component is compromised
Integrity HighTotal loss of integrity — attacker can modify any data in the component
Availability HighTotal denial of service — the component is completely unavailable

Weaknesses

CWE-1188No name in the record

Sources

References in the record

And 10 more references. See all after sign-in

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