# CVE-2026-54056: Kitty has an arbitrary file overwrite via symlink following in `kitten dnd` remote drop staging

> A malicious remote drag-and-drop source can overwrite arbitrary files via symlink following in Kitty terminal's kitten dnd staging.

- **Severity:** High 7.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-54056, GHSA-r892-cv7q-fw8x, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-54056

## What is CVE-2026-54056?

CVE-2026-54056 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in kovidgoyal kitty, published on 12 Jun 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Kitty is a cross-platform GPU based terminal. In versions 0.47.0 and 0.47.1, `kitten dnd` can allow a malicious remote drag-and-drop source to overwrite or truncate arbitrary files writable by the local kitty user. Remote `text/uri-list` drops are staged in a temporary directory, but on case-sensitive filesystems duplicate remote basenames are not de-duplicated. An attacker can first create a staged symlink and then send a same-name regular-file entry. The regular-file write uses `utils.CreateAt()` / `openat(O_RDWR|O_CREAT|O_TRUNC)` without `O_NOFOLLOW`, so it follows the attacker-created symlink and writes outside the staging directory before final overwrite confirmation runs. This appears related in class to the file-transfer symlink advisory, but it is a different bug: it affects `kitten dnd` remote drag-and-drop staging, uses different vulnerable code (`kittens/dnd/drop.go` and `tools/utils/file_at_fd.go`), and reproduces on commit `4aa4a5c0567a92553a8c20a88a4352da637fca5d`, after the file-transfer `O_NOFOLLOW` fix. Version 0.47.2 patches the issue.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-54056?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Kovidgoyal Kitty.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-54056?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-54056 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-54056 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in kovidgoyal kitty

- [CVE-2026-33642](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33642/): Kitty has a Heap Buffer Over-Read/Write via Integer Overflow in compose_rectangles Bounds Check (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2026-42851](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-42851/): @kitty-edit DCS + --color=geninclude vulnerable to Unauthenticated in-process RCE (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2026-33633](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33633/): Kitty has a Heap Buffer Overflow in its Graphics Protocol Handler (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-42850](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-42850/): Kitty has a shell command injection (high 7.4)
- [CVE-2026-54057](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-54057/): Kitty vulnerable to command injection via unsanitized OSC 21 query reply (high 7.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-54056 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-54056 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in kovidgoyal kitty, published on 12 Jun 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-54056 exists.

Affected product: kovidgoyal kitty. 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-2026-54056/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-54056/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-54056
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-54056
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-54056

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-54056/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.