IPython vulnerable to command injection via set_term_title
IPython provides an interactive Python shell and Jupyter kernel to use Python interactively. Versions prior to 8.10.0 are vulnerable to command injection in the set_term_title [function](https://github.com/ipython/ipython/blob/3f0bf05f072a91b2a3042d23ce250e5e906183fd/IPython/utils/terminal.py#L103-L117) under specific conditions. This has been patched in version 8.10.0.
Impact
Users are only vulnerable when calling this function in Windows in a Python environment where [ctypes](https://docs.python.org/3/library/ctypes.html) is not available. The dependency on ctypes in IPython.utils._process_win32 prevents the vulnerable code from ever being reached (making it effectively dead code). However, as a library that could be used by another tool, set_term_title could introduce a vulnerability for dependencies. Currently set_term_title is only called with (semi-)trusted input that contain the current working directory of the current IPython session. If an attacker can control directory names, and manage to get a user to cd into this directory, then the attacker can execute arbitrary commands contained in the folder names.
Affected versions
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| ipython PyPI | < 8.10.0 | 8.10.0 |
Details and references
- CVSS 3.1
- CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
- Severity from
- GitHub (reviewed advisory)
- Weakness
- CWE-20, CWE-78
- Also known as
- CVE-2023-24816, PYSEC-2023-17
- github.com/ipython/ipython/security/advisories/GHSA-29gw-9793-fvw7
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-24816
- github.com/ipython/ipython/commit/385d69325319a5972ee9b5983638e3617f21cb1f
- github.com/ipython/ipython/commit/991849c247fc208628879e7ca2923b3c218a5a75
- github.com/Carreau/ipython/blob/7557ade0ed927475d5ab5b573d0ea4febfb22683/docs/source/whatsnew/version8.rst#ipython-810
- github.com/ipython/ipython
- github.com/ipython/ipython/blob/3f0bf05f072a91b2a3042d23ce250e5e906183fd/IPython/utils/terminal.py#L103-L117
- github.com/ipython/ipython/blob/56e6925dfa50e2c7f4a6471547b8176275db7c25/IPython/utils/_process_win32.py#L20
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/ipython/PYSEC-2023-17.yaml