HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2026-06-12

CVE-2026-42850

kovidgoyal kitty Security Advisory (CVE-2026-42850)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2026-42850 impacting kovidgoyal kitty. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
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.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product kovidgoyal / kitty
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-77

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2026-42850 impacting kovidgoyal kitty.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2026-42850.yaml
id: cve-2026-42850

info:
  name: kovidgoyal kitty - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2026-42850 affecting kovidgoyal kitty.
    Evaluation: 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. ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2026-42850
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2026-42850
    cwe-id: CWE-77
  tags: cve,cve-2026-42850,kovidgoyal,kitty,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "kitty"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2026-42850.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2026-42850
# Target: kovidgoyal kitty | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2026-42850 (kovidgoyal kitty)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against kovidgoyal kitty scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2026-42850.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2026-42850
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install kitty 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade kitty 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update kitty

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i kitty 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i kitty

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2026-42850 in kovidgoyal kitty?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update kovidgoyal kitty packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2026-42850?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2026-42850?

CVE-2026-42850 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2026-42850
Weakness CWE-77
Vendor kovidgoyal
Product kitty
Published 2026-06-12
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H