Description
Zsh before version 5.4.2-test-1 is vulnerable to a buffer overflow in the shell autocomplete functionality. A local unprivileged user can create a specially crafted directory path which leads to code execution in the context of the user who tries to use autocomplete to traverse the before mentioned path. If the user affected is privileged, this leads to privilege escalation.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| zsh | zsh | before zsh 5.4.2-test-1 | — |
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 | 5.4.2-4 | — |
| Debian 13 | zsh | 5.4.2-4 | — |
| Debian 12 | zsh | 5.4.2-4 | — |
| Debian 9 | zsh | 5.3.1-4+deb9u1 | DLA-2470-1 |
| Debian 7 | zsh | 4.3.17-1+deb7u2 | DLA-1335-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | zsh | 5.1.1-1ubuntu2.2 | USN-3608-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | zsh | 5.0.2-3ubuntu6.2 | USN-3608-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | zsh +1 | 5.0.2-31.el7 | RHSA-2018:3073 |
| RHEL 6 | zsh +1 | 4.3.11-8.el6 | RHSA-2018:1932 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 | zsh | 5.5-3.3.15 | SUSE-SU-2018:1874-1 |
| 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 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | zsh | 5.8-7.7 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11543-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
Show 16 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.19 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.9 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.8 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.7 | zsh | 5.4.2-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.6 | zsh | 5.3.1-r1 | — |
| Alpine v3.5 | zsh | 5.2-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.4 | zsh | 5.2-r2 | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2 | zsh +1 | 5.5.1-1.amzn2 | ALAS2-2018-1013 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | zsh +1 | 5.0.2-31.el7 | ELSA-2018-3073 |
Advisories 11
- RHSA-2018:3073 Red Hat Security Advisory: zsh security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2018:1932 Red Hat Security Advisory: zsh security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 27, 2026
- USN-3608-1 zsh vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 22, 2026
- DLA-2470-1 zsh - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-1335-1 zsh - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11543-1 zsh-5.8-7.7 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2018:1874-1 Security update for zsh SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 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
- ALAS2-2018-1013 Moderate: zsh security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · May 10, 2018
References
- USN-3608-1 vendor-advisory
- 103572 vdb-entry
- GLSA-201805-10 vendor-advisory
- https://sourceforge.net/p/zsh/code/ci/259ac472eac291c8c103c7a0d8a4eaf3c2942ed7
- RHSA-2018:1932 vendor-advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1557382
- [debian-lts-announce] 20180331 [SECURITY] [DLA 1335-1] zsh security update mailing-list
- RHSA-2018:3073 vendor-advisory
- [debian-lts-announce] 20201201 [SECURITY] [DLA 2470-1] zsh security update mailing-list