Description
In builtin.c in zsh before 5.4, when sh compatibility mode is used, there is a NULL pointer dereference during processing of the cd command with no argument if HOME is not set.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | zsh | 5.4.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | zsh | 5.4.1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | zsh | 5.4.1-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | zsh | 5.1.1-1ubuntu2.1 | USN-3593-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | zsh | 5.0.2-3ubuntu6.1 | USN-3593-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | zsh +1 | 5.0.2-31.el7 | RHSA-2018:3073 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP3 | zsh | 5.0.5-6.7.2 | SUSE-SU-2018:1072-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | zsh | 4.3.6-67.9.8.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:14910-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP3 | zsh | 5.0.5-6.7.2 | SUSE-SU-2018:1072-1 |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | zsh | 4.3.6-67.9.8.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:14910-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2 | zsh +1 | 5.3.1-7.amzn2 | ALAS2-2018-986 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | zsh +1 | 5.0.2-31.el7 | ELSA-2018-3073 |
Advisories 6
- RHSA-2018:3073 Red Hat Security Advisory: zsh security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- USN-3593-1 zsh vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 22, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:1072-1 Security update for zsh SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2022:14910-1 Security update for zsh SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- ELSA-2018-3073 Moderate: zsh security and bug fix update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Nov 5, 2018
- ALAS2-2018-986 Low: zsh security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Apr 5, 2018
References
- https://sourceforge.net/p/zsh/code/ci/eb783754bdb74377f3cea4ceca9c23a02ea1bf58
- USN-3593-1 vendor-advisory
- GLSA-201805-10 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2018:3073 vendor-advisory