# CVE-2023-51385

In ssh in OpenSSH before 9.6, OS command injection might occur if a user name or host name has shell metacharacters, and this name is referenced by an expansion token in certain situations. For example, an untrusted Git repository can have a submodule with shell metacharacters in a user name or host name.

- Page: https://www.vulneraibility.com/cve/CVE-2023-51385
- CVSS: 6.5
- Known exploited: not in CISA KEV as of our last sync
- EPSS: 19.75% (percentile 97.4)
- Unvetted proof-of-concept code on GitHub: 23 GitHub proofs of concept (first 2023-09-28)
- CISA SSVC: exploitation poc, automatable yes, technical impact total (assessed 2025-08-15)
- Weakness: CWE-78
- Published: 2023-12-18

## Affected

- openbsd:openssh
- debian:debian_linux

## References

- [other] https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.6
- [other] https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/18/2
- [other] https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/commit/7ef3787c84b6b524501211b11a26c742f829af1a
- [advisory] https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5586
- [other] https://vin01.github.io/piptagole/ssh/security/openssh/libssh/remote-code-execution/2023/12/20/openssh-proxycommand-libssh-rce.html
- [other] https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/12/msg00017.html
- [other] http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/12/26/4
- [advisory] https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-17
- [other] https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240105-0005/
- [other] https://support.apple.com/kb/HT214084
- [other] http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Mar/21
- [other] http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/10/07/1
- [other] http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/10/12/1
- [other] https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-794697.html
- [other] https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-769027.html
- [other] https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-082556.html

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Summary, impact and action are written by the vulneraibility.com AI analysis pipeline from the CVE record, NVD, CISA and FIRST data; verify against the references.