CVE-2026-88968
Claude Code: TOCTOU Race in Edit Tool Allows File Writes Outside the Workspace
Description
Claude Code is an agentic coding tool. Prior to 2.1.251, the Edit tool validates a target using pathname and symlink resolution that is not bound to the underlying directory inode or file descriptor. On macOS, attacker-controlled code running in the Bash sandbox can atomically replace an in-workspace parent directory with a symlink after validation, causing the unsandboxed Edit implementation to overwrite a user-writable file outside the workspace. Exploitation requires attacker-controlled code to run inside the sandbox, such as from a malicious repository or dependency script. This issue is fixed in version 2.1.251.
INFO
Published Date :
Nov. 3, 2026, 8:18 p.m.
Last Modified :
Nov. 3, 2026, 8:33 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-88968
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Claude Code to version 2.1.251.
- Ensure all dependencies are updated.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-88968.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/releases/tag/v2.1.251 | |
| https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-5xjx-9qx6-jcrv |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-88968 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-88968
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-88968 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-88968 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Nov. 03, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description Claude Code is an agentic coding tool. Prior to 2.1.251, the Edit tool validates a target using pathname and symlink resolution that is not bound to the underlying directory inode or file descriptor. On macOS, attacker-controlled code running in the Bash sandbox can atomically replace an in-workspace parent directory with a symlink after validation, causing the unsandboxed Edit implementation to overwrite a user-writable file outside the workspace. Exploitation requires attacker-controlled code to run inside the sandbox, such as from a malicious repository or dependency script. This issue is fixed in version 2.1.251. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/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 Added CWE CWE-59 Added CWE CWE-367 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/88xxx/CVE-2026-88968.json">CVE-2026-88968</a> Added Reference https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/releases/tag/v2.1.251 Added Reference https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories/GHSA-5xjx-9qx6-jcrv