How severe is CVE-2026-42851?

CVE-2026-42851 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2026-42851 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-42851?

CVE-2026-42851 affects Kovidgoyal Kitty. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2026-42851?

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.

Does CVE-2026-42851 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2026-42851 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-36555.

When was CVE-2026-42851 published?

CVE-2026-42851 was published on 2026-06-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2026-42851

CVE-2026-42851 is a high-severity vulnerability in Kovidgoyal Kitty with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-94.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (6th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-36555
Weakness: CWE-94
Affected product: Kovidgoyal Kitty
Published: 2026-06-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions prior to 0.47.0, a program able to write bytes to a kitty terminal — a remote SSH peer, a downloaded file viewed with `cat`, a log line, an email body rendered in `less`, an issue body in a TUI, etc. — can cause kitty to execute attacker-supplied Python inside the running kitty process, with the user's full privileges. There is no approval prompt, no remote-control permission requirement, no shell-integration interaction, no clipboard touch, and no editor interaction. Version 0.47.0 fixes the issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-42851?: Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions prior to 0.47.0, a program able to write bytes to a kitty terminal — a remote SSH peer, a downloaded file viewed with `cat`, a log line, an email body rendered in `less`, an issue body in a TUI, etc. — can cause kitty to execute attacker-supplied Python inside the running kitty process, with the user's full privileges. There is no approval prompt, no remote-control permission requirement, no shell-integration interaction, no clipboard touch, and no editor interaction. Version 0.47.0 fixes the issue.
How severe is CVE-2026-42851?: CVE-2026-42851 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2026-42851 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (6th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-42851?: CVE-2026-42851 affects Kovidgoyal Kitty. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42851?: 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.
Does CVE-2026-42851 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2026-42851 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-36555.
When was CVE-2026-42851 published?: CVE-2026-42851 was published on 2026-06-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/security/advisories/GHSA-w98g-hpvr-r332

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:kovidgoyal:kitty:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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