CVE-2025-65946: Roocode Roo Code RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-65946 Overview

CVE-2025-65946 is a command injection vulnerability in Roo Code, an AI-powered autonomous coding agent that operates within users' editors. Prior to version 3.26.7, a validation error in the command allow list implementation allowed the AI agent to automatically execute commands that did not match the configured allow list prefixes. This vulnerability enables potential attackers to bypass security controls designed to restrict command execution, potentially leading to unauthorized code execution within the development environment.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass command validation controls to execute arbitrary commands through the Roo Code AI agent, potentially compromising the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the development environment.

Affected Products

• Roo Code versions prior to 3.26.7
• All installations using the vulnerable command validation module
• Development environments with Roo Code AI agent enabled

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-11-21 - CVE-2025-65946 published to NVD
• 2025-12-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-65946

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-20) combined with command injection weaknesses (CWE-77) in the Roo Code command validation module. The allow list mechanism, designed to restrict which commands the AI agent can automatically execute, contained a validation error that failed to properly handle certain command patterns. This flaw allowed commands that should have been blocked by the allow list to be executed without user approval.

The vulnerability is particularly concerning in the context of an AI-powered coding agent, as it operates autonomously and executes commands based on user prompts. A malicious prompt or crafted input could potentially trigger command execution that bypasses the intended security controls, exposing the development environment to arbitrary command injection attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in the command validation logic within the command-validation.ts module. Specifically, the validation failed to correctly handle zsh glob qualifiers, which are special syntax patterns used in the Z shell for file matching with code execution capabilities. The patterns *(e:...:) and similar zsh glob qualifiers can execute arbitrary code during pathname expansion, but these dangerous patterns were not being detected by the original validation logic.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction. An attacker could craft malicious input that exploits the validation bypass to execute unauthorized commands. The attack complexity is high due to the specific conditions required to trigger the vulnerability, but successful exploitation could result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the affected development environment.

  * - ${!var} - Indirect variable references
  * - <<<$(...) or <<<`...` - Here-strings with command substitution
  * - =(...) - Zsh process substitution that executes commands
+ * - *(e:...:) or similar - Zsh glob qualifiers with code execution
  *
  * @param source - The command string to analyze
  * @returns true if dangerous substitution patterns are detected, false otherwise

Source: GitHub Commit b50104cc

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-65946

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected command executions logged by Roo Code that do not match configured allow list patterns
• Unusual shell commands containing zsh glob qualifier patterns such as *(e:...:) in execution logs
• Process spawning from the editor or Roo Code extension that appears anomalous
• Evidence of shell commands with process substitution or indirect variable references being executed

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Roo Code extension logs for commands that bypass allow list validation
• Implement endpoint detection rules to alert on unusual process execution chains originating from editor processes
• Review command history for patterns containing zsh-specific syntax like glob qualifiers with execution flags
• Deploy behavioral analysis to detect anomalous AI agent command execution patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the Roo Code extension to capture all command execution attempts
• Configure SIEM rules to correlate editor process activity with unexpected shell command execution
• Implement file integrity monitoring on development environment configuration files
• Set up alerts for any command execution containing known dangerous shell patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-65946

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Roo Code to version 3.26.7 or later immediately
• Review command execution logs for any signs of exploitation prior to patching
• Audit allow list configurations to ensure they reflect intended security policies
• Consider temporarily disabling automatic command execution until the patch is applied

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been patched in Roo Code version 3.26.7. The fix addresses the validation error by properly detecting zsh glob qualifiers with code execution capabilities. Organizations should update to the patched version through their extension marketplace or package manager.

For technical details on the fix, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory and the Pull Request #7667.

Workarounds

• Disable automatic command execution in Roo Code settings until the update can be applied
• Restrict the allow list to only essential, explicitly defined commands rather than prefix-based patterns
• Run the development environment in a sandboxed or containerized configuration to limit potential impact
• Implement additional network segmentation to isolate development environments from sensitive systems

# Verify Roo Code version to ensure patch is applied
# Check extension version in your editor's extension management interface
# Version should be 3.26.7 or higher

# If using VS Code, check via command palette:
# Extensions: Show Installed Extensions
# Search for "Roo Code" and verify version >= 3.26.7