CVE-2026-81856
Description
A flaw was found in hex. A remote attacker can inject unescaped terminal control sequences into the output of package manager commands by publishing a package with crafted metadata or serving hostile repository responses. When a user inspects package details, searches for packages, or views error messages, these raw control sequences are rendered directly by the terminal. This flaw can allow attackers to spoof displayed commands and URLs, obscure terminal output, or alter clipboard contents.
Statement
This vulnerability is assessed with a Moderate impact because exploitation depends on interactive user queries against untrusted package registries and cannot automatically achieve remote code execution without further developer action. In Red Hat environments, Hex is utilized during development and build processes rather than running as an exposed background daemon. While maliciously formatted metadata or error messages can visually deceive developers or manipulate the clipboard in certain terminal emulators, the issue remains restricted to the local command-line session processing third-party packages.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 4.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Network | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability,Non-Repudiation
Technical Impact: Modify Application Data; Hide Activities; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Interpretation of the log files may be hindered or misdirected if an attacker can supply data to the application that is subsequently logged verbatim. In the most benign case, an attacker may be able to insert false entries into the log file by providing the application with input that includes appropriate characters. Forged or otherwise corrupted log files can be used to cover an attacker's tracks, possibly by skewing statistics, or even to implicate another party in the commission of a malicious act. If the log file is processed automatically, the attacker can render the file unusable by corrupting the format of the file or injecting unexpected characters. An attacker may inject code or other commands into the log file and take advantage of a vulnerability in the log processing utility.
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