CVE Watchtower

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CVE-2026-53534NVD

Description

JabRef is a desktop application for managing BibTeX and BibLaTeX libraries. Prior to 6.0-alpha.6, when jabsrv or JabRef's built-in HTTP server is enabled, the GET /better-bibtex/cayw endpoint accepts an external command query parameter and CAYWQueryParams.getCommand() passes it through CAYWResource.getCitation() into PushToSublimeText.getCommandLine(). On Unix-like systems, PushToSublimeText combines this untrusted cite-command prefix and citation keys into a string executed through sh -c by ProcessBuilder without shell escaping. A client that can cause a localhost request with application=sublime can inject shell metacharacters and execute operating-system commands as the JabRef user when a valid Sublime Text command path is configured and the victim completes the CAYW selection dialog. The built-in server is disabled by default, so exploitation requires the victim to enable it or run jabsrv. This issue is fixed in version 6.0-alpha.6.
Severity Level
HIGH (7.5)
Published Date
17/09/2026
Last Modified
17/09/2026
Exploitation Status
????
EPSS Score
0.35% (percentile 29.0%)

CVSS Base Metrics

CVSS v4 (4.0)
HIGH 7.5
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Weaknesses (CWE)

CWE-78 - CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

Affected & Patched Versions

ProductAffected VersionsPatched Version
JabRef jabref< 6.0-alpha.6N/A
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📧Email Delivery — Threat intel straight to your inbox.
♾️Unlimited Vendors — Track your entire stack.
🚨All New CVEs — Be the first to know.
⚙️Custom EPSS — Filter noise, focus on risk.
💬Webhooks — Slack & Teams integration.
🚫Ad-Free — Uninterrupted experience.