9.9
CRITICAL CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-33642
Kitty has a Heap Buffer Over-Read/Write via Integer Overflow in compose_rectangles Bounds Check
Description

Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions 0.46.2 and below, the handle_compose_command() function in kitty/graphics.c performs bounds validation on composition offsets using unsigned 32-bit arithmetic that is subject to integer wrapping, potentially leading to Heap Buffer Over-Read/Write. An attacker who can write escape sequences to a kitty terminal (e.g., via a malicious file, SSH login banner, or piped content) can supply crafted x_offset/y_offset values that pass the bounds check after wrapping but cause massive out-of-bounds heap memory access in compose_rectangles(). No user interaction is required. No non-default configuration is required. The attacker only needs the ability to produce output in a kitty terminal window. This issue has been fixed in version 0.47.0.

INFO

Published Date :

May 19, 2026, 7:16 p.m.

Last Modified :

May 19, 2026, 7:16 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-33642 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

No affected product recoded yet

CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 CRITICAL [email protected]
Solution
Update Kitty to version 0.47.0 or later to fix heap buffer over-read/write vulnerabilities.
  • Update Kitty to version 0.47.0 or later.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-33642.

URL Resource
https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/commit/e9661f0f3afb4e4dbffa509adfb3df3c9780ad34
https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/security/advisories/GHSA-qfgm-2c64-6x3x
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-33642 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-33642 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-33642 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-33642 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    May. 19, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions 0.46.2 and below, the handle_compose_command() function in kitty/graphics.c performs bounds validation on composition offsets using unsigned 32-bit arithmetic that is subject to integer wrapping, potentially leading to Heap Buffer Over-Read/Write. An attacker who can write escape sequences to a kitty terminal (e.g., via a malicious file, SSH login banner, or piped content) can supply crafted x_offset/y_offset values that pass the bounds check after wrapping but cause massive out-of-bounds heap memory access in compose_rectangles(). No user interaction is required. No non-default configuration is required. The attacker only needs the ability to produce output in a kitty terminal window. This issue has been fixed in version 0.47.0.
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-125
    Added CWE CWE-787
    Added CWE CWE-190
    Added Reference https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/commit/e9661f0f3afb4e4dbffa509adfb3df3c9780ad34
    Added Reference https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/security/advisories/GHSA-qfgm-2c64-6x3x
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.