OpenPrinting CUPS: Shared PostScript queue lets anonymous Print-Job requests reach `lp` code execution over the network

Description

OpenPrinting CUPS is an open source printing system for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. In versions 2.4.16 and prior, in a network-exposed cupsd with a shared target queue, an unauthorized client can send a Print-Job to that shared PostScript queue without authentication. The server accepts a page-border value supplied as textWithoutLanguage, preserves an embedded newline through option escaping and reparse, and then reparses the resulting second-line PPD: text as a trusted scheduler control record. A follow-up raw print job can therefore make the server execute an attacker-chosen existing binary such as /usr/bin/vim as lp. At time of publication, there are no publicly available patches.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

1.7% · top 23% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 6.1.

Weakness

• CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-20 and its CVEs

Affected products

• OpenPrinting · cups

  • affected <= 2.4.16

References (1)

• https://github.com/OpenPrinting/cups/security/advisories/GHSA-4852-v58g-6cwf (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRM

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

[![CVE-2026-34980](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2026-34980.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2026-34980)

Record last updated 6 Apr 2026, 13:12 UTC.