Description
gnome-shell 3.22 through 3.24.1 mishandles extensions that fail to reload, which can lead to leaving extensions enabled in the lock screen. With these extensions, a bystander could launch applications (but not interact with them), see information from the extensions (e.g., what applications you have opened or what music you were playing), or even execute arbitrary commands. It all depends on what extensions a user has enabled. The problem is caused by lack of exception handling in js/ui/extensionSystem.js.
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 | gnome-shell | 3.22.3-3 | — |
| Debian 13 | gnome-shell | 3.22.3-3 | — |
| Debian 12 | gnome-shell | 3.22.3-3 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | gnome-shell | 3.18.5-0ubuntu0.3+esm1 | USN-7052-1 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP3 | gnome-shell | 3.20.4-77.7.5 | SUSE-SU-2017:2217-1 |
| SLES 12 SP2 | gnome-shell | 3.20.4-77.7.5 | SUSE-SU-2017:2217-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP3 | gnome-shell | 3.20.4-77.7.5 | SUSE-SU-2017:2217-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | gnome-shell | 3.20.4-77.7.5 | SUSE-SU-2017:2217-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | gnome-shell | 40.5-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10797-1 |
Advisories 4
- USN-7052-1 gnome-shell vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jun 25, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10797-1 gnome-extensions-40.5-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2017:2217-1 Security update for gnome-shell SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- WID-SEC-2024-3067 GNOME: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Ausführen von beliebigem Programmcode mit Benutzerrechten BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 3, 2024