GNOME Shell 3.14.x before 3.14.1, when the Screen Lock feature is used, does not limit the aggregate memory consumption of all active PrtSc
GNOME Shell 3.14.x before 3.14.1, when the Screen Lock feature is used, does not limit the aggregate memory consumption of all active PrtSc requests, which allows physically proximate attackers to execute arbitrary commands on an unattended workstation by making many PrtSc requests and leveraging a temporary lock outage, and the resulting temporary shell availability, caused by the Linux kernel OOM killer.
- Published
- Dec 25, 2014
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 38th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-399
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Report tools
Action score
28
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 28 / 40 · 7.2 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| gnome | gnome-shell | cpe:2.3:a:gnome:gnome-shell |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop |
| redhat | enterprise linux hpc node | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_hpc_node |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- gnome gnome-shell3.14.0
- redhat enterprise linux desktop7.0
- redhat enterprise linux hpc node7.0
- redhat enterprise linux server7.0
- redhat enterprise linux workstation7.0
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | gnome-shell | before 3.14.1-1 | 3.14.1-1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | clutter | before 0:1.14.4-12.el7 | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | clutter-debuginfo | before 0:1.14.4-12.el7 | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | clutter-devel | before 0:1.14.4-12.el7 | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | clutter-doc | before 0:1.14.4-12.el7 | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | cogl | before 0:1.14.0-6.el7 | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | cogl-debuginfo | before 0:1.14.0-6.el7 | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | cogl-devel | before 0:1.14.0-6.el7 | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | cogl-doc | before 0:1.14.0-6.el7 | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | gnome-shell | before 0:3.8.4-45.el7 | 0:3.8.4-45.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | gnome-shell-browser-plugin | before 0:3.8.4-45.el7 | 0:3.8.4-45.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | gnome-shell-debuginfo | before 0:3.8.4-45.el7 | 0:3.8.4-45.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | mutter | before 0:3.8.4-16.el7 | 0:3.8.4-16.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | mutter-debuginfo | before 0:3.8.4-16.el7 | 0:3.8.4-16.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | mutter-devel | before 0:3.8.4-16.el7 | 0:3.8.4-16.el7 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | gnome-settings-daemon | before 3.10.2-20.1 | 3.10.2-20.1 |
Same product
gnome: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2017-8288gnome-shell 3.22 through 3.24.1 mishandles extensions that fail to reload, which can lead to leaving extensions enabled in the lock screen.33Monitor
- CVE-2012-4427The gnome-shell plugin 3.4.1 in GNOME allows remote attackers to force the download and installation of arbitrary extensions from extensions27Monitor
- CVE-2010-4000gnome-shell in GNOME Shell 2.31.5 places a zero-length directory name in the LD_LIBRARY_PATH, which allows local users to gain privileges vi27Monitor
- CVE-2021-20315A locking protection bypass flaw was found in some versions of gnome-shell as shipped within CentOS Stream 8, when the "Application menu" or24Monitor
- CVE-2023-43090Gnome-shell: screenshot tool allows viewing open windows when session is locked22Monitor
- CVE-2021-3982Linux distributions using CAP_SYS_NICE for gnome-shell may be exposed to a privilege escalation issue.22Monitor
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:gnome-shell | 3.14.1-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:clutter | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:clutter-debuginfo | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:clutter-devel | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:clutter-doc | 0:1.14.4-12.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:cogl | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:cogl-debuginfo | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:cogl-devel | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:cogl-doc | 0:1.14.0-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:gnome-shell-browser-plugin | 0:3.8.4-45.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:gnome-shell-debuginfo | 0:3.8.4-45.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:mutter-debuginfo | 0:3.8.4-16.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:mutter-devel | 0:3.8.4-16.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:gnome-settings-daemon | 3.10.2-20.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | 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.
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
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
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
- Low
- Confidentiality impact
- C
- Integrity impact
- C
- Availability impact
- C
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-399 · Resource Management ErrorsCVSS vector
AV:L/AC:L/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.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
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✗ → ✓
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References
- openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/09/29/17
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0535.html
- bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=737456
- git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-shell/commit/?id=a72dca361080ffc9f45ff90188a7cf013c3c4013
- git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-shell/commit/?id=f02b007337e61436aaa0e81a86ad707b6d277378
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.