iTerm2 3.x before 3.1.1 allows remote attackers to discover passwords by reading DNS queries. A new (default) feature was added to iTerm2 version 3.0.0 (and unreleased 2.9.x versions such as 2.9.20150717) that resulted in a potential information disclosure. In an attempt to see whether the text under the cursor (or selected text) was a URL, the text would be sent as an unencrypted DNS query. This has the potential to result in passwords and other sensitive information being sent in cleartext without the user being aware.
CVE-2015-9231
HIGHNVD 7.57.5—
EchelonGraph scoreMEDIUM confidence
Score 7.5 from GitHub Security Advisory (severity: HIGH) published 2022-05-17. NVD baseline CVSS 7.5; sources differ by 0.0.
Triggered by: GitHub Security Advisory CVSS
Sources: epss, ghsa, nvd
7.5
EchelonGraph verdictPlan a fixSerious severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet.
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS: 2%CVSS: 7.5Exploit: NoneExposed: 0
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 7.5
- EG Score
- 7.5(medium)
- EPSS
- 80.6%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
September 20, 2017
Last Modified
May 13, 2026
References (16)
- cve@mitrehttps://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2/commit/33ccaf61e34ef32ffc9d6b2be5dd218f6bb55f51
- cve@mitrehttps://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2/commit/e4eb1063529deb575b75b396138d41554428d522
- cve@mitrehttps://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/3688
- cve@mitrehttps://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/5303
- cve@mitrehttps://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/6050
- cve@mitrehttps://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/6068
- cve@mitrehttps://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/wikis/dnslookupissue
- cve@mitrehttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15286956
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2/commit/33ccaf61e34ef32ffc9d6b2be5dd218f6bb55f51
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2/commit/e4eb1063529deb575b75b396138d41554428d522
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/3688
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/5303
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/6050
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/issues/6068
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://gitlab.com/gnachman/iterm2/wikis/dnslookupissue
Frequently asked(5)
What is CVE-2015-9231?
CVE-2015-9231 is a high vulnerability published on September 20, 2017. iTerm2 3.x before 3.1.1 allows remote attackers to discover passwords by reading DNS queries. A new (default) feature was added to iTerm2 version 3.0.0 (and unreleased 2.9.x versions such as 2.9.20150717) that resulted in a potential information disclosure. In an attempt to see whether the text…
When was CVE-2015-9231 disclosed?
CVE-2015-9231 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on September 20, 2017, with the most recent update on May 13, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2015-9231 actively exploited?
CVE-2015-9231 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. FIRST EPSS estimates a 80.6% percentile likelihood of exploitation in the next 30 days — higher percentiles indicate greater predicted risk.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2015-9231?
CVE-2015-9231 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 (NVD).
How do I remediate CVE-2015-9231?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2015-9231, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.
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