Description
An issue was discovered in Midnight Commander through 4.8.26. When establishing an SFTP connection, the fingerprint of the server is neither checked nor displayed. As a result, a user connects to the server without the ability to verify its authenticity.
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 | mc | 3:4.8.27-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | mc | 3:4.8.27-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | mc | 3:4.8.27-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | mc | 3:4.8.27-1 | — |
Show 4 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | mc | 3:4.8.24-2ubuntu1+esm1 | USN-5160-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | mc | 3:4.8.19-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 | USN-5160-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | mc | 3:4.8.15-2ubuntu0.1~esm1 | USN-5160-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | mc | 3:4.8.11-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 | USN-5160-1 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSE Package Hub 15 SP3 | mc | 4.8.27-bp153.2.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2022:0061-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | mc | 4.8.27-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11580-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.3 | mc | 4.8.27-bp153.2.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2022:0061-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2 | mc | 1:4.8.29-1.amzn2 | ALAS2-2023-2147 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 2 (CBL-Mariner) | mc | 4.8.27-1 | — |
Advisories 4
- USN-5160-1 mc vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jun 29, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11580-1 mc-4.8.27-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2022:0061-1 Security update for mc SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- ALAS2-2023-2147 Moderate: mc security update (Amazon Linux 2) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Jul 19, 2023
References
- https://github.com/MidnightCommander/mc/blob/master/src/vfs/sftpfs/connection.c
- https://github.com/MidnightCommander/mc/blob/5c1d3c55dd15356ec7d079084d904b7b0fd58d3e/src/vfs/sftpfs/connection.c#L484
- https://sourceforge.net/projects/mcwin32/files/
- https://midnight-commander.org/
- https://docs.ssh-mitm.at/CVE-2021-36370.html
- https://mail.gnome.org/archives/mc-devel/2021-August/msg00008.html