High severity7.8NVD Advisory· Published Feb 14, 2022· Updated Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-45444

Description

In zsh before 5.8.1, an attacker can achieve code execution if they control a command output inside the prompt, as demonstrated by a %F argument. This occurs because of recursive PROMPT_SUBST expansion.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

Affected products

Zsh/Zsh3 versions
cpe:2.3:a:zsh:zsh:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 2 more
- cpe:2.3:a:zsh:zsh:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*range: <5.8.1
- (no CPE)
- (no CPE)range: <5.8.1
Apple Inc./Mac OS X14 versions
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 13 more
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*range: >=10.15,<10.15.7
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020-005:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020-007:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2020:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-002:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-003:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-006:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-007:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2021-008:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2022-001:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2022-002:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:10.15.7:security_update_2022-003:*:*:*:*:*:*
Apple Inc./macOS
cpe:2.3:o:apple:macos:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Range: >=11.0,<11.6.6
Debian/linux3 versions
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 2 more
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Fedoraproject/Fedora2 versions
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 1 more
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
osv-coords38 versions
pkg:rpm/almalinux/zsh pkg:rpm/almalinux/zsh-html pkg:rpm/opensuse/zsh&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.3 pkg:rpm/opensuse/zsh&distro=openSUSE%20Tumbleweed pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=HPE%20Helion%20OpenStack%208 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Enterprise%20Storage%206 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Enterprise%20Storage%207 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20High%20Performance%20Computing%2015%20SP1-ESPOS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20High%20Performance%20Computing%2015%20SP1-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20High%20Performance%20Computing%2015%20SP2-ESPOS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20High%20Performance%20Computing%2015%20SP2-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20High%20Performance%20Computing%2015-ESPOS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20High%20Performance%20Computing%2015-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015%20SP3 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Real%20Time%2015%20SP2 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2012%20SP2-BCL pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2012%20SP3-BCL pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2012%20SP3-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2012%20SP4-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2012%20SP5 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2015%20SP1-BCL pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2015%20SP1-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2015%20SP2-BCL pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2015%20SP2-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%2015-LTSS pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%20for%20SAP%20Applications%2012%20SP3 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%20for%20SAP%20Applications%2012%20SP4 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%20for%20SAP%20Applications%2012%20SP5 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%20for%20SAP%20Applications%2015 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%20for%20SAP%20Applications%2015%20SP1 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server%20for%20SAP%20Applications%2015%20SP2 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Manager%20Proxy%204.1 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Manager%20Retail%20Branch%20Server%204.1 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20Manager%20Server%204.1 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20OpenStack%20Cloud%208 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20OpenStack%20Cloud%209 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20OpenStack%20Cloud%20Crowbar%208 pkg:rpm/suse/zsh&distro=SUSE%20OpenStack%20Cloud%20Crowbar%209
< 5.5.1-9.el8+ 37 more
- (no CPE)range: < 5.5.1-9.el8
- (no CPE)range: < 5.5.1-9.el8
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.8.1-1.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-3.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-3.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-3.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-3.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.6-7.5.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 5.0.5-6.19.1

Patches

Vulnerability mechanics

References

seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/May/33nvdMailing ListThird Party Advisory
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/May/35nvdMailing ListThird Party Advisory
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/May/38nvdMailing ListThird Party Advisory
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/02/msg00020.htmlnvdMailing ListThird Party Advisory
support.apple.com/kb/HT213255nvdThird Party Advisory
support.apple.com/kb/HT213256nvdThird Party Advisory
support.apple.com/kb/HT213257nvdThird Party Advisory
vuln.ryotak.me/advisories/63nvdThird Party Advisory
www.debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5078nvdThird Party Advisory
zsh.sourceforge.io/releases.htmlnvdRelease NotesThird Party Advisory
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2P3LPMGENEHKDWFO4MWMZSZL6G7Y4CV7/nvd
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BWF3EXNBX5SVFDBL4ZFOD4GJBWFUKWN4/nvd

News mentions

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cvss	0.507
epss	0.002
exploit	0.000
kev	0.000
patch	0.000
ransomware	0.000