CVE-2021-41146

Arbitrary command execution on Windows in qutebrowser

HIGH
8.8
CVSS Score
Published: October 21, 2021 at 05:35 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 04:07 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorQutebrowser

Using qutebrowser by qutebrowser?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect qutebrowser - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
HIGH8.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 1%

Description

qutebrowser is an open source keyboard-focused browser with a minimal GUI. Starting with qutebrowser v1.7.0, the Windows installer for qutebrowser registers a `qutebrowserurl:` URL handler. With certain applications, opening a specially crafted `qutebrowserurl:...` URL can lead to execution of qutebrowser commands, which in turn allows arbitrary code execution via commands such as `:spawn` or `:debug-pyeval`. Only Windows installs where qutebrowser is registered as URL handler are affected. The issue has been fixed in qutebrowser v2.4.0. The fix also adds additional hardening for potential similar issues on Linux (by adding the new --untrusted-args flag to the .desktop file), though no such vulnerabilities are known.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v ≤ 1.7.0v < 2.4.02.0.0 ≤ v < 2.4.0
Affected range stops below 2.4.0, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

CVSS

8.8HIGHGitHub_M
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
REQUIRED
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-77CWE-88CWE-641

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card