CVE-2023-28101
Flatpak metadata with ANSI control codes can cause misleading terminal output
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- GitHub_M
Description
Flatpak is a system for building, distributing, and running sandboxed desktop applications on Linux. In versions prior to 1.10.8, 1.12.8, 1.14.4, and 1.15.4, if an attacker publishes a Flatpak app with elevated permissions, they can hide those permissions from users of the `flatpak(1)` command-line interface by setting other permissions to crafted values that contain non-printable control characters such as `ESC`. A fix is available in versions 1.10.8, 1.12.8, 1.14.4, and 1.15.4. As a workaround, use a GUI like GNOME Software rather than the command-line interface, or only install apps whose maintainers you trust.
Timeline
ID reserved
By GitHub_M
- 6 days later
· 6 days later
Published
- 24 months later
· 24 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_MCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Medium5.0 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Medium4.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.88% · top 41% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.0.
Weakness
Affected products
References (5)
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/security/advisories/GHSA-h43h-fwqx-mpp8 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/409e34187de2b2b2c4ef34c79f417be698830f6c (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/6cac99dafe6003c8a4bd5666341c217876536869 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/commit/7fe63f2e8f1fd2dafc31d45154cf0b191ebec66c (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-12 (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-28101)Record last updated .