Description
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component in the colour control escape code handler in kitty from 0.47.3 before 0.49.0 allows a program writing to the terminal to execute an arbitrary command in the user's shell, because color_control() in kitty/window.py answers a query for an unrecognised field name by placing that field name into the reply, and write_escape_code_to_child() in kitty/screen.c then writes the reply to the pseudoterminal master, where it is not distinguishable from input typed by the user, without neutralising it for the shell that reads it. The payload is reduced to printable ASCII before the field name is echoed, which is the restriction introduced in 0.47.3 as the fix for CVE-2026-54057, and the record and field separators ; and = are consumed as delimiters, but every other printable character survives, which is sufficient to compose a shell command. A newline is available from handle_remote_ssh() in kitty/window.py, which writes the bytes yielded by get_ssh_data() in kittens/ssh/utils.py, the first of which begin with a newline, to the pseudoterminal master before any credential carried in the request is checked. The reply is framed as an OSC sequence carrying the escape code number, the field name, and the literal value ?. This results in execution of an attacker-chosen command with the privileges of the user running the terminal.
Published: 2026-09-25
Score: 9.3 Critical
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
AI Analysis

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Remediation

Vendor Solution

Upgrade to kitty 0.49.0 or later.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-78
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important


Sat, 26 Sep 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component in the colour control escape code handler in kitty from 0.47.3 before 0.49.0 allows a program writing to the terminal to execute an arbitrary command in the user's shell, because color_control() in kitty/window.py answers a query for an unrecognised field name by placing that field name into the reply, and write_escape_code_to_child() in kitty/screen.c then writes the reply to the pseudoterminal master, where it is not distinguishable from input typed by the user, without neutralising it for the shell that reads it. The payload is reduced to printable ASCII before the field name is echoed, which is the restriction introduced in 0.47.3 as the fix for CVE-2026-54057, and the record and field separators ; and = are consumed as delimiters, but every other printable character survives, which is sufficient to compose a shell command. A newline is available from handle_remote_ssh() in kitty/window.py, which writes the bytes yielded by get_ssh_data() in kittens/ssh/utils.py, the first of which begin with a newline, to the pseudoterminal master before any credential carried in the request is checked. The reply is framed as an OSC sequence carrying the escape code number, the field name, and the literal value ?. This results in execution of an attacker-chosen command with the privileges of the user running the terminal.
Title Reflected unknown field names in the kitty colour control escape code allow command execution in the user's shell
First Time appeared Kovidgoyal
Kovidgoyal kitty
Weaknesses CWE-74
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:kovidgoyal:kitty:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Kovidgoyal
Kovidgoyal kitty
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 9.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H'}


Subscriptions

Kovidgoyal Kitty
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Secur0

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-25T15:30:58.146Z

Reserved: 2026-09-22T16:30:06.022Z

Link: CVE-2026-95832

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-09-25T15:30:39.404Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Awaiting Analysis

Published: 2026-09-25T13:17:24.063

Modified: 2026-09-29T21:32:59.833

Link: CVE-2026-95832

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2026-09-25T12:54:25Z

Links: CVE-2026-95832 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-29T19:00:10Z

Weaknesses