CVE-2026-33633
Undergoing Analysis Undergoing Analysis - In Progress
Heap Buffer Overflow in Kitty Terminal

Publication date: 2026-05-19

Last updated on: 2026-05-22

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. Versions 0.46.2 and below contain a heap buffer overflow in load_image_data() that allows any process which can write to the terminal's stdin to crash kitty immediately. The vulnerability is triggered by a single APC graphics protocol command with a PNG format declaration (f=100) whose payload exceeds twice the initial buffer capacity. The overflow is attacker-controlled in both length and content, causing DoS and potentially escalation to RCE itself. This issue has been fixed in version 0.47.0.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-05-19
Last Modified
2026-05-22
Generated
2026-06-10
AI Q&A
2026-05-19
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-08
NVD
CVE-2026-33633
EUVD
EUVD-2026-30964
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
kovidgoyal kitty to 0.47.0 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
KEV Icon
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().
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Executive Summary

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.

Impact Analysis

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.

Mitigation Strategies

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.

Compliance Impact

The provided information does not specify any direct impact of this vulnerability on compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.

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