CVE-2006-6772: Format string vulnerability in the inputAnswer function in file.c in w3m before 0.5.2, when run with the du...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2006-6772 is a legacy remote code execution risk in w3m. A malicious HTTPS server certificate could abuse how w3m displayed certificate data when w3m ran in dump or backend mode. The issue matters mainly where old w3m versions are still installed or used in automation. Exposure is most likely on legacy Unix/Linux systems, scripts, or server-side jobs that still use w3m before 0.5.2 to fetch HTTPS URLs with dump or backend behavior. The provided affected-product metadata is incomplete, so validate through local package inventory rather than CPE matching. Treat this as a targeted legacy cleanup item. It is high impact if vulnerable w3m is still used in automation, but it is unlikely to be broadly exposed in modern environments. Prioritize inventory and patch confirmation over emergency response unless legacy usage is found. Mitigation focus: Upgrade w3m to version 0.5.2 or a vendor-patched package.; Remove vulnerable w3m from systems where it is not required.; Avoid using vulnerable w3m builds in dump or backend HTTPS automation..

Prepared

Jun 29, 2026, 08:30 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.