Shell command execution via unsanitized SSH errors
Published Jun 12, 2026 · Updated Jun 12, 2026
Command injection in the ssh kitten in Kovid Goyal kitty before 0.47.0 allows remote attackers to execute shell commands via terminal input. The kitty-ssh DCS handler returns an unsanitized shm_open error containing attacker-controlled path data with CRLF, causing the active shell to interpret embedded command substitutions. Exploitation requires a user to run netcat or a similar program in kitty and connect to, or accept a connection from, an attacker-controlled endpoint; successful exploitation runs commands with that user's privileges.
Summary
What happened
Command injection in the ssh kitten in Kovid Goyal kitty before 0.47.0 allows remote attackers to execute shell commands via terminal input. The kitty-ssh DCS handler returns an unsanitized shm_open error containing attacker-controlled path data with CRLF, causing the active shell to interpret embedded command substitutions. Exploitation requires a user to run netcat or a similar program in kitty and connect to, or accept a connection from, an attacker-controlled endpoint; successful exploitation runs commands with that user's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-42850
- Published
- Jun 12, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 12, 2026
- Vendor
- Kovid Goyal
- Product
- kitty
- Classifications
- CWE-77, T1059.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 12, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 12, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 0.47.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- GitHub advisory proof-of-concept escape sequenceproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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