CVE-2026-33633
Heap Buffer Overflow in Kitty Terminal
Publication date: 2026-05-19
Last updated on: 2026-05-19
Assigner: GitHub, Inc.
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| kitty | kitty | to 0.47.0 (exc) |
| kitty | kitty | 0.47.0 |
| kovidgoyal | kitty | to 0.47.0 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-122 | A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc(). |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a heap buffer overflow found in the Kitty terminal application, specifically in the load_image_data() function. It occurs when a specially crafted APC graphics protocol command with a PNG format declaration (f=100) is sent to the terminal's stdin. If the payload of this command exceeds twice the initial buffer capacity, it causes an overflow that is controlled by the attacker in both length and content.
This overflow can cause the Kitty terminal to crash immediately (denial of service) and potentially allow an attacker to escalate the issue to remote code execution (RCE). The vulnerability affects versions 0.46.2 and below and has been fixed in version 0.47.0.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
The primary impact of this vulnerability is that an attacker who can write to the terminal's stdin can cause the Kitty terminal to crash, resulting in a denial of service (DoS).
More severely, because the overflow is attacker-controlled in both length and content, it may allow an attacker to escalate the attack to remote code execution (RCE), potentially gaining control over the affected system.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The vulnerability in Kitty terminal versions 0.46.2 and below can be mitigated by upgrading to version 0.47.0 or later, where the heap buffer overflow issue has been fixed.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
The provided information does not specify any direct impact of this vulnerability on compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.