CVE-2026-28207
Zen C is a systems programming language that compiles to human-readable GNU C/C11.
Published Feb 26, 2026 · updated Jun 17, 2026 · zenc-lang zen c
Zen C is a systems programming language that compiles to human-readable GNU C/C11. Prior to version 0.4.2, a command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the Zen C compiler allows local attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands by providing a specially crafted output filename via the command-line argument. The vulnerability existed in the application logic (specifically in ), where the compiler constructed a shell command string to invoke the backend C compiler. This command string was built by concatenating various arguments, including the user-controlled output filename, and was subsequently executed using the function. Because invokes a shell to parse and execute the command, shell metacharacters within the output filename were interpreted by the shell, leading to arbitrary command execution. An attacker who can influence the command-line arguments passed to the compiler (like through a build script or a CI/CD pipeline configuration) can execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the user running the compiler. The vulnerability has been fixed in version 0.4.2 by removing calls, implementing , and internal argument handling. Users are advised to update to Zen C version v0.4.2 or later.
Code
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Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Feb 26, 2026 · NIST NVD
Detected
Zen C is a systems programming language that compiles to human-readable GNU C/C11. Prior to version 0.4.2, a command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the Zen C compiler allows local attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands by providing a specially crafted output filename via the command-line argument. The vulnerability existed in the application logic (specifically in ), where the compiler
Jun 17, 2026 · NIST NVD
Updated
Zen C is a systems programming language that compiles to human-readable GNU C/C11. Prior to version 0.4.2, a command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the Zen C compiler allows local attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands by providing a specially crafted output filename via the command-line argument. The vulnerability existed in the application logic (specifically in ), where the compiler
Affected
- cpe zenc-lang/zen cversion unspecified
Sources
- CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-28207
Official CVE identifier
cve.org - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-28207
Zen C is a systems programming language that compiles to human-readable GNU C/C11. Prior to version 0.4.2, a command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the Zen C compiler allows local attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands by providing a specially crafted output filename
nvd.nist.gov