# CVE-2026-88066: Claude Desktop: Uncontrolled Search Path Enables Arbitrary Code Execution via Malicious Git Executable

Status: published. Published: 2026-11-03. Updated: 2026-11-09.

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's desktop application for interacting with Claude. Prior to 1.8089.0, Claude Desktop on Windows invokes git.exe through uv_spawn without an absolute path, allowing Windows search-path resolution to select a malicious git.exe placed in the opened project's current working directory before the intended system executable. Opening an attacker-controlled or shared repository can therefore execute the substituted program with the user's privileges. This issue is fixed in version 1.8089.0.

## Remediation

- fix: Claude Desktop (anthropic): GitHub reports patched versions 1.8089.0. Check the advisory for the affected release branch. (source: GitHub GHSA-4p2j-qj3c-6x84) — https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-4p2j-qj3c-6x84

## Affected products and versions

- anthropics / claude-code: < 1.8089.0 (affected). Source: CNA: GitHub_M
-  / Claude Desktop (Claude Desktop): < 1.8089.0 (affected, GitHub advisory range). Source: GitHub GHSA-4p2j-qj3c-6x84

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 4.0: 7.5 (high); CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N; source: CNA: GitHub_M

- CVSS 4.0: 7.5 (high); CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X; source: NVD: security-advisories@github.com

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.29% as of 2026-11-09; percentile 21.37%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-427

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-4p2j-qj3c-6x84 (CNA: GitHub_M; x_refsource_CONFIRM)

- https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-4p2j-qj3c-6x84 (security-advisories@github.com)

- https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-4p2j-qj3c-6x84 (GitHub Security Advisories; advisory)

## Provenance

- CNA: GitHub_M: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-88066; retrieved 2026-11-09; source updated 2026-11-09

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-88066; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated 2026-11-03

- GitHub Security Advisories: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-4p2j-qj3c-6x84; retrieved 2026-11-09; source updated 2026-10-13

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-88066; retrieved 2026-11-09; source updated Not reported

Revision: d0c15ece885610204eb14de8b20363c5c27f92ee86c776a9dc13861575d5c02f

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-88066

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