# CVE-2023-28100: TIOCLINUX can send commands outside sandbox if running on a virtual console

> Attackers can execute arbitrary commands outside the sandbox by exploiting TIOCLINUX on Linux virtual consoles, requiring users to run Flatpak apps in non-graphical environments.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 13 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** CLSA-2025-1740132708, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-28100, GHSA-7qpw-3vjv-xrqp, OESA-2026-3852, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-28100

## What is CVE-2023-28100?

CVE-2023-28100 is a critical command injection vulnerability in flatpak, published on 16 Mar 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Flatpak is a system for building, distributing, and running sandboxed desktop applications on Linux. Versions prior to 1.10.8, 1.12.8, 1.14.4, and 1.15.4 contain a vulnerability similar to CVE-2017-5226, but using the `TIOCLINUX` ioctl command instead of `TIOCSTI`. If a Flatpak app is run on a Linux virtual console such as `/dev/tty1`, it can copy text from the virtual console and paste it into the command buffer, from which the command might be run after the Flatpak app has exited. Ordinary graphical terminal emulators like xterm, gnome-terminal and Konsole are unaffected. This vulnerability is specific to the Linux virtual consoles `/dev/tty1`, `/dev/tty2` and so on. A patch is available in versions 1.10.8, 1.12.8, 1.14.4, and 1.15.4. As a workaround, don't run Flatpak on a Linux virtual console. Flatpak is primarily designed to be used in a Wayland or X11 graphical environment.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-28100?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Flatpak Flatpak.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-28100?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2023-28100 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-28100 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in flatpak

- [CVE-2026-34078](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34078/): Flatpak has a complete sandbox escape leading to host file access and code execution in the host context (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2019-10063](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-10063/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2018-6560](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6560/): Security feature bypass in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-34079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-34079/): Flatpak affected by arbitrary file deletion on the host filesystem (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2023-28101](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28101/): Flatpak metadata with ANSI control codes can cause misleading terminal output (medium 5.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-28100 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-28100 is a critical command injection vulnerability in flatpak, published on 16 Mar 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-28100 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: flatpak. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28100/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28100/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-28100
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28100
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28100

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28100/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.