Description
In PuTTY versions before 0.71 on Windows, local attackers could hijack the application by putting a malicious help file in the same directory as the executable.
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.
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSE Package Hub 15 | putty | 0.71-bp150.4.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:1123-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 15.0 | putty | 0.71-lp150.9.1 | openSUSE-SU-2019:1113-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
GitHub 1 repository
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yasinyilmaz/vuln-chm-hijack ★ 7 · May 13, 2019
Potential malicious code execution via CHM hijacking (CVE-2019-9896)
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 2
- openSUSE-SU-2019:1113-1 Security update for putty SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2019:1123-1 Security update for putty SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026