Detect React Native Community CLI OS Command Injection (CVE-2025-11953) in Elastic Security
Detects exploitation of CVE-2025-11953, an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the React Native Community CLI. An attacker who can influence arguments or configuration consumed by the React Native CLI can inject arbitrary OS commands that execute with the privileges of the developer or CI/CD process invoking the CLI. This vulnerability is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Execution Persistence Lateral Movement
Elastic Detection Query
sequence by host.name, user.name with maxspan=2m
[process where process.name : ("node", "node.exe") and
(process.command_line : ("*react-native*", "*@react-native-community*", "*rn-cli*") or
process.parent.command_line : ("*react-native*", "*@react-native-community*"))]
[process where process.name : ("sh", "bash", "zsh", "dash", "cmd.exe", "powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe") and
process.command_line : ("*curl *", "*wget *", "*nc *", "*ncat *", "*/dev/tcp*", "*bash -i*", "*sh -c*", "*powershell*", "*Invoke-Expression*")]EQL sequence query correlating a React Native CLI node process with a subsequent shell or download utility invocation within a two-minute window on the same host and user, indicative of command injection exploitation.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Automated mobile development environments where shell scripts are legitimately chained after react-native CLI commands.
- Build servers running react-native bundler with post-build shell hooks.
- Developer-triggered npm scripts that spawn sub-shells after CLI invocation.
- Legitimate usage of react-native run-android or run-ios with custom shell environment setup.
Other platforms for CVE-2025-11953
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1Command Injection via React Native CLI project name argument
Expected signal: Process create event showing node spawning sh or bash with a command line containing the injected semicolon-delimited id command; file creation event for /tmp/cve_2025_11953_poc.txt.
- Test 2Reverse shell injection via React Native CLI on Linux
Expected signal: Process create events for node → sh → id; file write to /tmp/rn_inject_test.txt containing the output of id.
- Test 3Remote payload download via injected curl in React Native CLI build context
Expected signal: Process create event for node spawning sh, which spawns curl with an external URL argument; network connection event for curl to destination host.
- Test 4Windows PowerShell injection via React Native CLI on Windows
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1 showing node.exe spawning cmd.exe which spawns powershell.exe; file creation event in %TEMP% for rn_inject_test.txt.
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