CVE-2026-95835
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Missing Authorization in Kitty Terminal Emulator

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-95835, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-09-29

Assigner: Secur0

Description

Missing Authorization in the askpass escape code handler in kitty from 0.25.0 before 0.49.0 allows a local user other than the one running the terminal to obtain the text typed into a prompt that kitty itself displays, because handle_remote_askpass() in kitty/window.py opens the POSIX shared memory object named in the escape code, parses a prompt definition out of it, and writes the user's answer back into an object of that same name, without at any point checking that the object is owned by the user running kitty or that its permissions exclude other users. The equivalent consumer of the same SharedMemory class in the ssh kitten performs exactly that check; the askpass path did not. The handler is reached through a device control string processed from the byte stream of the window, so the attacker must also cause bytes of their choosing to be displayed by the victim's terminal. Where the POSIX shared memory namespace is shared between the two users, a second local user can create an object with permissions that allow the victim to read and write it, cause the victim's kitty to render a prompt of the attacker's choosing, including a masked password prompt, and read the typed secret back out of the object afterwards. The prompt text is additionally passed to the display without control character sanitisation, so it can overwrite the warning line kitty prints above it. The answer is written by reopening an object of that name when the user answers, rather than through the handle already held. This results in disclosure of a secret typed by the victim to a second local user, and does not require any privilege on the victim's account.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-25
Last Modified
2026-09-29
Generated
2026-10-16
AI Q&A
2026-09-25
EPSS Evaluated
2026-10-14
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
kovid kitty to 0.49.0 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-862 The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

Missing Authorization in the askpass escape code handler in kitty from 0.25.0 before 0.49.0 allows a local user to obtain text typed into a prompt displayed by kitty. The handler opens a shared memory object without verifying ownership or permissions, enabling another local user to create a malicious prompt, read typed secrets, and overwrite terminal warnings.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by checking the version of kitty installed on your system. If you are running kitty version 0.25.0 or later but before 0.49.0, your system is vulnerable. Run the command 'kitty --version' to check the installed version.

Impact Analysis

A second local user could capture sensitive input like passwords or other secrets typed into kitty prompts. They could also manipulate displayed text to deceive the victim by overwriting warnings or displaying fake prompts.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating confidentiality requirements in GDPR and HIPAA. Organizations using kitty may face compliance risks due to potential data exposure.

Mitigation Strategies

Update kitty to version 0.49.0 or later to address the missing authorization issue in the askpass escape code handler.

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