What is CVE-2021-23556?

CVE-2021-23556 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in guake (pip), affecting versions < 3.8.5. It is fixed in 3.8.5.

How severe is CVE-2021-23556?

CVE-2021-23556 has a CVSS score of 6.4 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of guake are affected by CVE-2021-23556?

guake (pip) versions < 3.8.5 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2021-23556?

Yes. CVE-2021-23556 is fixed in 3.8.5. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2021-23556 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-23556 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2021-23556 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2021-23556 in guake

Q: How severe is CVE-2021-23556?

CVE-2021-23556 has a CVSS score of 6.4 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of guake are affected by CVE-2021-23556?

guake (pip) versions < 3.8.5 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2021-23556?

Yes. CVE-2021-23556 is fixed in 3.8.5. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2021-23556 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-23556 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2021-23556 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2021-23556?

Upgrade guake to 3.8.5 or later.

Summary

Command injection in guake

Guake is a drop-down terminal for GNOME. The package guake before 3.8.5 is vulnerable to Exposed Dangerous Method or Function due to the exposure of execute_command and execute_command_by_uuid methods via the d-bus interface, which makes it possible for a malicious user to run an arbitrary command via the d-bus method. Note: Exploitation requires the user to have installed another malicious program that will be able to send dbus signals or run terminal commands.

Impact

CVE-2021-23556 has a CVSS score of 6.4 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.8.5); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

guake (< 3.8.5)

Security releases

guake → 3.8.5 (pip)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade guake to 3.8.5 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23556? CVE-2021-23556 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in guake (pip), affecting versions < 3.8.5. It is fixed in 3.8.5.
How severe is CVE-2021-23556? CVE-2021-23556 has a CVSS score of 6.4 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of guake are affected by CVE-2021-23556? guake (pip) versions < 3.8.5 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-23556? Yes. CVE-2021-23556 is fixed in 3.8.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2021-23556 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-23556 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2021-23556 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2021-23556? Upgrade guake to 3.8.5 or later.