CVE-2012-2738: The VteTerminal in gnome-terminal (vte) before 0.32.2 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial o...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2012-2738 is a denial-of-service issue in GNOME VTE/gnome-terminal before 0.32.2. A remote authenticated user could trigger excessive CPU use by causing the terminal to process a malformed escape sequence with a very large repeat count. Exposure is most plausible on older Linux or Unix desktop/server environments with vulnerable VTE-based terminals installed, especially multi-user systems or workflows where authenticated remote users can cause terminal output to be rendered. Treat this as routine remediation unless vulnerable shared systems are still in use. The business impact is availability loss through CPU consumption, with no source evidence of active exploitation or data compromise. Mitigation focus: Upgrade vte/gnome-terminal through vendor packages that include VTE 0.32.2 or the backported fix.; Use distribution advisories from Fedora, openSUSE, Oracle, or your OS vendor to confirm package status.; Prioritize shared systems where authenticated users can influence terminal output seen by administrators or operators..

Prepared

Jun 24, 2026, 12:34 UTC (UTC+00:00)

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