# CVE-2026-41253: Code injection in iTerm2

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code in iTerm2 by tricking users into viewing a malicious text file that abuses terminal protocol signaling.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 20 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5pgv-4jf4-9r43

## What is CVE-2026-41253?

CVE-2026-41253 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in iTerm2, published on 18 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In iTerm2 through 3.6.9, displaying a .txt file can cause code execution via DCS 2000p and OSC 135 data, if the working directory contains a malicious file whose name is valid output from the conductor encoding path, such as a pathname with an initial ace/c+ substring, aka "hypothetical in-band signaling abuse." This occurs because iTerm2 accepts the SSH conductor protocol from terminal output that does not originate from a legitimate conductor session.

Weakness: CWE-829 (Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-41253?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Iterm2 Iterm2.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-41253?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-41253 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-41253 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-41253 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in iTerm2

- [CVE-2024-38395](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38395/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-38396](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38396/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-46300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46300/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-46301](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46301/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-46321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46321/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-41253 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-41253 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in iTerm2, published on 18 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-41253 exists.

Affected product: iTerm2. 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-2026-41253/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41253/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41253
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-41253
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41253

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41253/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.