CVE-2026-54055

CVE-2026-54055 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Kovidgoyal Kitty with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0. 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-59.

Key facts

Description

Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions prior to 0.47.2, a local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in kitty's file transmission protocol where a child process running in the terminal can write to arbitrary files on the filesystem by exploiting a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use) race condition between symlink validation and file creation. The `os.open()` call used to create files does not use `O_NOFOLLOW`, allowing an attacker to create a symlink between the initial stat check and the actual file open, causing the write to follow the symlink to an arbitrary destination. Version 0.47.2 fixes the issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-54055?
Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions prior to 0.47.2, a local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in kitty's file transmission protocol where a child process running in the terminal can write to arbitrary files on the filesystem by exploiting a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check-Time-of-Use) race condition between symlink validation and file creation. The `os.open()` call used to create files does not use `O_NOFOLLOW`, allowing an attacker to create a symlink between the initial stat check and the actual file open, causing the write to follow the symlink to an arbitrary destination. Version 0.47.2 fixes the issue.
How severe is CVE-2026-54055?
CVE-2026-54055 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.0, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability low.
Is CVE-2026-54055 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (1st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2026-54055?
CVE-2026-54055 affects Kovidgoyal Kitty. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2026-54055?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2026-54055 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2026-54055 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-36556.
When was CVE-2026-54055 published?
CVE-2026-54055 was published on 2026-06-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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