CVE-2007-6181

CVE-2007-6181 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Cygwin with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 8.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in cygwin1.dll in Cygwin 1.5.7 and earlier allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via a filename with a certain length, as demonstrated by a remote authenticated user who uses the SCP protocol to send a file to the Cygwin machine, and thereby causes scp.exe on this machine to execute, and then overwrite heap memory with characters from the filename. NOTE: it is also reported that a related issue might exist in 1.5.7 through 1.5.19.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2007-6181?
Heap-based buffer overflow in cygwin1.dll in Cygwin 1.5.7 and earlier allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via a filename with a certain length, as demonstrated by a remote authenticated user who uses the SCP protocol to send a file to the Cygwin machine, and thereby causes scp.exe on this machine to execute, and then overwrite heap memory with characters from the filename. NOTE: it is also reported that a related issue might exist in 1.5.7 through 1.5.19.
How severe is CVE-2007-6181?
CVE-2007-6181 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 8.5, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2007-6181 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 6% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2007-6181?
CVE-2007-6181 affects Redhat Cygwin. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2007-6181?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2007-6181 published?
CVE-2007-6181 was published on 2007-11-30 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

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