CRLF injection vulnerability in xterm allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary commands via LF (aka \n) characters surrounding a
CRLF injection vulnerability in xterm allows user-assisted attackers to execute arbitrary commands via LF (aka \n) characters surrounding a command name within a Device Control Request Status String (DECRQSS) escape sequence in a text file, a related issue to CVE-2003-0063 and CVE-2003-0071.
- Published
- Jan 2, 2009
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 4.9% · 92th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-94
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Report tools
Action score
38
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 37 / 40 · 9.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 4.9%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| invisible-island | xterm | cpe:2.3:a:invisible-island:xterm |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- invisible-island xterm_nil_
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | xterm | before 238-2 | 238-2 |
| Debian:4.0 | xterm | before 222-1etch3 | 222-1etch3 |
| Debian:5.0 | xterm | before 235-2 | 235-2 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | xterm | before 368-2.2 | 368-2.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:2.1::as | hanterm-xf | before 1:2.0.5-5.AS21.2 | 1:2.0.5-5.AS21.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | xterm | before 0:179-11.EL3 | 0:179-11.EL3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | xterm-debuginfo | before 0:179-11.EL3 | 0:179-11.EL3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | xterm | before 0:192-8.el4_7.2 | 0:192-8.el4_7.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | xterm-debuginfo | before 0:192-8.el4_7.2 | 0:192-8.el4_7.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | xterm | before 0:215-5.el5_2.2 | 0:215-5.el5_2.2 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | xterm-debuginfo | before 0:215-5.el5_2.2 | 0:215-5.el5_2.2 |
Same product
invisible-island: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2022-45063xterm before 375 allows code execution via font ops, e.g., because an OSC 50 response may have Ctrl-g and therefore lead to command executio41Plan
- CVE-2021-27135xterm before Patch #366 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (segmentation fault) via a crafted UT41Plan
- CVE-2023-40359xterm before 380 supports ReGIS reporting for character-set names even if they have unexpected characters (i.e., neither alphanumeric nor un39Monitor
- CVE-2022-24130xterm through Patch 370, when Sixel support is enabled, allows attackers to trigger a buffer overflow in set_sixel in graphics_sixel.c via c23Monitor
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:xterm | 238-2 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:xterm | 368-2.2 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:hanterm-xf | 1:2.0.5-5.AS21.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:2.1::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:xterm | 0:179-11.EL3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:xterm-debuginfo | 0:179-11.EL3 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as | 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.
No credits in the CNA record.
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
If successful
- Confidentiality
- C · data can be read
- Integrity
- C · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- C · the service can be disrupted
- Attack complexity
- M
- Confidentiality impact
- C
- Integrity impact
- C
- Availability impact
- C
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')CVSS vector
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
nvd-primary
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)
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; 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 helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- secunia.com/advisories/33419
- bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=510030
- lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/May/msg00002.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-01/msg00004.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-02/msg00000.html
- secunia.com/advisories/33318
- secunia.com/advisories/33388
- secunia.com/advisories/33397
- secunia.com/advisories/33418
- secunia.com/advisories/33568
- secunia.com/advisories/33820
- secunia.com/advisories/35074
- sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-66-254208-1
- support.apple.com/kb/HT3549
- www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1694
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-0018.html
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-0019.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/33060
- www.securitytracker.com/id?1021522
- www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-133A.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.