CVE-2008-1692: Eterm 0.9.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if -display is not specified and the DISPLAY environment variable is

Routine

MEDIUM 6.9DOWNGRADE

CVE-2008-1692 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.9) affecting eterm. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Eterm 0.9.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if -display is not specified and the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow local users to hijack X11 connections. NOTE: realistic attack scenarios require that the victim enters a command on the wrong machine.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.9 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	0.3% (top 77%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-264
Published	2008-04-07
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: eterm

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2008-04-07 18:44 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:52 UTCUpdated Record last modified

eterm eterm DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.9.4

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.9.4

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy eterm || rpm -q eterm || eterm --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.9.4 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison eterm sudo apt install eterm=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.9.4> sudo apt-mark hold eterm

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list eterm sudo dnf downgrade eterm-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.9.4> sudo dnf versionlock add eterm

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2008-1692?

eterm: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2008-1692 being exploited?

CVE-2008-1692 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2008-1692 affect?

CVE-2008-1692 affects eterm. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.9). Eterm 0.9.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if -display is not specified and the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow local users to hijack X11 connections. NOTE: realistic attack scenarios require that the victim enter

How urgent is CVE-2008-1692?

Priority 30/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2021-33477 HIGH 8.8 DOWNGRADE DOWNGRADE rxvt-unicode 9.22, rxvt 2.7.10, mrxvt 0.5.4, and Eterm 0.9.7 allow (potentially remote) code execution because
CVE-2008-1142 LOW 3.7 UPGRADE UPGRADE rxvt 2.6.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow loc
CVE-2003-0382 MEDIUM 4.6 DOWNGRADE MITIGATE Buffer overflow in Eterm 0.9.2 allows local users to gain privileges via a long ETERMPATH environment variable
CVE-2003-0068 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE The Eterm terminal emulator 0.9.1 and earlier allows attackers to modify the window title via a certain charac
CVE-2003-0021 MEDIUM 5.0 DOWNGRADE The "screen dump" feature in Eterm 0.9.1 and earlier allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a certa

References

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