Description
Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions prior to 0.47.0, it is possible to inject commands within the subshell through kitty error. A special escape code will make kitty return an error, this error is not escaped and will be correctly echoed back to the terminal with CRLF, as such it will be run by the shell in use. To exploit this bug, the victim must use a netcat or a similar program to connect to the attacker, or else listening for someone to connect. Once this condition is set, an attacker could pwn the computer of the victim using a special kitty's escape code that will run a command in the shell in use. Version 04.7.0 fixes the issue.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| kovidgoyal | kitty | < 0.47.0 | — |
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 | kitty | 0.47.0-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | kitty | 0.41.1-2+deb13u2 | — |
| Debian 12 | kitty | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 25.10 | kitty | No fix yet | — |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 26.04 LTS | kitty | 0.45.0-1ubuntu0.1~esm2 | USN-8763-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 24.04 LTS | kitty | 0.32.2-1ubuntu0.4+esm2 | USN-8763-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | kitty | 0.48.2-bp160.1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:21599-1 |
Advisories 2
- USN-8763-1 kitty vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Sep 16, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:21599-1 Security update for kitty SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Aug 21, 2026