ncurses before 6.4 20230408, when used by a setuid application, allows local users to…
Priority LOW 38CWE-787Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 fixed, 2 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-787 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
ncurses before 6.4 20230408, when used by a setuid application, allows local users to trigger security-relevant memory corruption via malformed data in a terminfo database file that is found in $HOME/.terminfo or reached via the TERMINFO or TERM environment variable.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00979 62nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Partial Red Hat: 4 advisoriesRed Hat: 6 fixed, 2 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:invisible-island:ncurses:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 6.4 | Vulnerable | Invisible-island |
- cpe:2.3:a:invisible-island:ncurses:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 6.4 Vulnerable ·Invisible-island
Remediation
Red Hat 4 advisories
- RHSA-2024:0416 Released 2024-01-25 · Red Hat rating Moderatencurses security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.8.6) ncurses-6.1-9.20180224.el8_6.1, ncurses-base-6.1-9.20180224.el8_6.1, ncurses-c++-libs-6.1-9.20180224.el8_6.1 +4
- RHSA-2023:7361 Released 2023-11-21 · Red Hat rating Moderatencurses security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.2) ncurses-c++-libs-6.2-8.20210508.el9_2.1, ncurses-devel-6.2-8.20210508.el9_2.1, ncurses-term-6.2-8.20210508.el9_2.1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.2) ncurses-6.2-8.20210508.el9_2.1, ncurses-base-6.2-8.20210508.el9_2.1, ncurses-libs-6.2-8.20210508.el9_2.1
- RHSA-2023:6698 Released 2023-11-07 · Red Hat rating Moderatencurses security and bug fix update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) ncurses-c++-libs-6.2-10.20210508.el9, ncurses-devel-6.2-10.20210508.el9, ncurses-term-6.2-10.20210508.el9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) ncurses-6.2-10.20210508.el9, ncurses-base-6.2-10.20210508.el9, ncurses-libs-6.2-10.20210508.el9
Show 1 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2023:5249 Released 2023-09-19 · Red Hat rating Moderatencurses security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) ncurses-6.1-9.20180224.el8_8.1, ncurses-base-6.1-9.20180224.el8_8.1, ncurses-c++-libs-6.1-9.20180224.el8_8.1 +4
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:6698 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream EUS (v.9.2) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:7361 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:5249 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:6698 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:0416 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.9.2) | Fixed | RHSA-2023:7361 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-29491
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-vh2x-5rx6-qqhv
References
Patch 2
Advisory 1
Other 7
- http://ncurses.scripts.mit.edu/?p=ncurses.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=eb51b1ea1f75a0ec17c9c5937cb28df1e8eeec56
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/04/12/5
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230517-0009/
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213843
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213844
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213845
- [debian-lts-announce] 20231203 [SECURITY] [DLA 3682-1] ncurses security update
More Invisible-island Ncurses vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-42919 Stack-based buffer overflow in GNU ncurses CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2020-13550 Buffer Overflow vulnerability in _nc_find_entry function in tinfo/comp_hash.c:66 in… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2017-07812 In ncurses 6.0, there is a stack-based buffer overflow in the fmt_entry function. CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2017-07813 In ncurses 6.0, there is a format string vulnerability in the fmt_entry function. CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2021-16802 An issue was discovered in ncurses through v6.2-1. CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2017-12424 Stack-based buffer overflow in the _nc_write_entry function in tinfo/write_entry.c in… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
Sources
- CVE-2023-29491 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-29491 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vh2x-5rx6-qqhv · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2023-29491 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences