CVE-2021-45463

Shell command execution via unescaped image pathname

Published Dec 23, 2021 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Command injection in GEGL before 0.4.34 allows context-dependent attackers to execute shell commands through a crafted image pathname. The load_cache function in operations/common/magick-load.c embeds the pathname in a command string passed to system() for the ImageMagick convert fallback without escaping or filtering it. A user must open the crafted path on a build with the ImageMagick fallback enabled; commands then run with that user’s privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability1.44%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Command injection in GEGL before 0.4.34 allows context-dependent attackers to execute shell commands through a crafted image pathname. The load_cache function in operations/common/magick-load.c embeds the pathname in a command string passed to system() for the ImageMagick convert fallback without escaping or filtering it. A user must open the crafted path on a build with the ImageMagick fallback enabled; commands then run with that user’s privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-45463
Published
Dec 23, 2021
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
T1204.002, T1059.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 23, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1204.002Malicious File
T1059.004Unix Shell

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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