RCE in Hmbown Codewhale
CVE-2026-45311
CodeWhale is a DeepSeek + MiMo coding agent in terminal. From 0.3.0 to 0.8.23, the run_tests tool executes cargo test in the workspace with ApprovalRequirement::Auto, meaning it runs without any user approval prompt. cargo test compiles and executes arbitrary code: test binaries, build.rs build scripts, and proc macros. While auto-approving test execution is a deliberate design choice, it creates an inconsistency in the security boundary. However, in a malicious repository, test code can execute arbitrary shell commands, exfiltrate credentials, or establish persistence with zero approval. The attack is amplified by AGENTS.md (auto-loaded into the system prompt), which can instruct the model to run tests proactively at session start. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.8.23.
Vulnerability class: RCE (Remote Code Execution)
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 9.6 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.007 (50.8th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 51st percentile — 50.8% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.004 · newest: 0.007 · change: +0.003
Affected products
- Hmbown Codewhale — versions >= 0.3.0, < 0.8.23
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-45311?
- CVE-2026-45311 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Hmbown Codewhale, classified under Code Injection. CVSS score: 9.6/10. Published 2026-05-28.
- How severe is CVE-2026-45311?
- Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.6 out of 10.