CVE-2006-7162: PuTTY 0.59 and earlier uses weak file permissions for (1) ppk files containing private keys generated by pu...

Security readout for executives and security teams

PuTTY 0.59 and earlier may create private key files and session logs with permissions that are too open. On shared systems, another local user could read those files and obtain sensitive data, including SSH private keys or logged session content. Exposure is most relevant where PuTTY 0.59 or earlier was used on multi-user systems, shared workstations, terminal servers, or environments storing PPK files and session logs in readable locations. Treat this as a targeted hygiene and exposure-control issue. It is not described as remotely exploitable, but exposed SSH private keys can create serious downstream access risk if shared systems retained old PuTTY files. Mitigation focus: Identify any PuTTY or puttygen installations at version 0.59 or earlier.; Check vendor or operating system package guidance for fixed PuTTY versions.; Restrict access to PPK private key files and PuTTY session logs..

Prepared

Jun 29, 2026, 06:52 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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