launch-editor: `fs.existsSync()` existence check can be bypassed on Windows

Summary

launch-editor allows users to open files with line numbers in editor from Node.js. Prior to 2.14.2, launch-editor-middleware processes an attacker-controlled Windows file argument where the file argument ends in a parent-directory component plus a line-and-column suffix: the path is resolved while the suffix is still present, and launch-editor removes the suffix before its existsSync check, leaving the existing parent directory for existsSync and allowing the attacker-controlled file argument to pass filename existence validation without requiring the malicious filename to exist. The bypass can lead to OS command injection when combined with the separately described Windows percent-expansion flaw. This issue is fixed in version 2.14.2.

Timeline

1. Oct 20, 2026, 2:48 PM UTCCVE published
2. Oct 21, 2026, 2:39 PM UTCCISA SSVC assessment

   Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total

3. Oct 21, 2026, 3:55 PM UTCRecord last updated
4. Oct 22, 2026, 9:34 PM UTCFirst seen by cve.now

Affected versions

• vitejs launch-editor

  fixed in 2.14.2

• vitejs vite

  From 8.3.0 · fixed in 8.3.3; From 8.2.0 · fixed in 8.2.4; From 8.0.0 · fixed in 8.1.6; From 7.0.0 · fixed in 7.3.7; fixed in 6.4.4

• vitejs vite-plus

  fixed in 1.1.0

• launch-editornpm

  fixed in 2.14.2

• vitenpm

  From 8.3.0 · fixed in 8.3.3

• vitenpm

  From 8.2.0 · fixed in 8.2.4

• vitenpm

  From 8.0.0 · fixed in 8.1.6

• vitenpm

  From 7.0.0 · fixed in 7.3.7

• vitenpm

  fixed in 6.4.4

• vite-plusnpm

  fixed in 1.1.0

References 3