Nano: nano: format string vulnerability leads to denial of service
A flaw was found in nano. A local user could exploit a format string vulnerability in the `statusline()` function. By creating a directory with a name containing `printf` specifiers, the application attempts to display this name, leading to a segmentation fault (SEGV). This results in a Denial of Service (DoS) for the `nano` application.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for help- Published
- Apr 22, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 1, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.1% · 3th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-134
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Report tools
Action score
22
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.1%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · redhat
- 5.5
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| gnu | nano | cpe:2.3:a:gnu:nano |
| redhat | openshift container platform | cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform |
| redhat | enterprise linux | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- gnu nano8.7
- redhat enterprise linux10.0
- redhat enterprise linux6.0
- redhat enterprise linux7.0
- redhat enterprise linux8.0
- redhat enterprise linux9.0
- redhat openshift container platform4.0
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (redhat). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- all versionsaffected
Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- all versionsaffected
Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- all versionsaffected
Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- all versionsaffected
Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- all versionsaffected
Red Hat Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- all versionsaffected
- all versionsaffected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | nano | all versions | — |
| Debian:13 | nano | before 8.4-1+deb13u1 | 8.4-1+deb13u1 |
| Debian:14 | nano | before 9.0-1 | 9.0-1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | nano | before 9.1-bp160.1.1 | 9.1-bp160.1.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | nano | before 9.0-2.1 | 9.0-2.1 |
Same product
gnu: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2024-5742Nano: running `chmod` and `chown` on the filename allows malicious user to replace the emergency file with a malicious symlink to a root-owned file26Monitor
- CVE-2010-1161Race condition in GNU nano before 2.2.4, when run by root to edit a file that is not owned by root, allows local user-assisted attackers to 14Monitor
- CVE-2010-1160GNU nano before 2.2.4 does not verify whether a file has been changed before it is overwritten in a file-save operation, which allows local 7Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:nano | 8.4-1+deb13u1 · Debian:13 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:nano | 9.0-2.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-134 · Use of Externally-Controlled Format StringCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.