---
id: CVE-2023-24816
aliases:
  - GHSA-29gw-9793-fvw7
  - PYSEC-2023-17
title: IPython vulnerable to command injection via set_term_title
summary: IPython vulnerable to command injection via set_term_title
severity: medium
cvss: 4.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L'
vendor: ipython
product: ipython
ecosystem: pip
affected:
  - ipython < 8.10.0
patched:
  - ipython 8.10.0
published: '2023-02-10'
updated: '2026-09-10'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-10T03:49:51.926049793Z'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-29gw-9793-fvw7'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/ipython/ipython/security/advisories/GHSA-29gw-9793-fvw7'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-24816'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/ipython/ipython/commit/385d69325319a5972ee9b5983638e3617f21cb1f
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/ipython/ipython/commit/991849c247fc208628879e7ca2923b3c218a5a75
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/Carreau/ipython/blob/7557ade0ed927475d5ab5b573d0ea4febfb22683/docs/source/whatsnew/version8.rst#ipython-810
  - url: 'https://github.com/ipython/ipython'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/ipython/ipython/blob/3f0bf05f072a91b2a3042d23ce250e5e906183fd/IPython/utils/terminal.py#L103-L117
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/ipython/ipython/blob/56e6925dfa50e2c7f4a6471547b8176275db7c25/IPython/utils/_process_win32.py#L20
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/ipython/PYSEC-2023-17.yaml
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
epss: 0.01306
epssPercentile: 0.69308
ingestedAt: '2026-07-17T19:00:50.526Z'
---

## Overview

IPython provides an interactive Python shell and Jupyter kernel to use Python interactively. Versions prior to 8.10.0 are vulnerable to command injection in the `set_term_title` [function](https://github.com/ipython/ipython/blob/3f0bf05f072a91b2a3042d23ce250e5e906183fd/IPython/utils/terminal.py#L103-L117) under specific conditions. This has been patched in version 8.10.0.

### Impact 
Users are only vulnerable when calling this function in Windows in a Python environment where [ctypes](https://docs.python.org/3/library/ctypes.html) is not available. The dependency on ctypes in `IPython.utils._process_win32` prevents the vulnerable code from ever being reached (making it effectively dead code). However, as a library that could be used by another tool, `set_term_title` could introduce a vulnerability for dependencies. Currently `set_term_title` is only called with (semi-)trusted input that contain the current working directory of the current IPython session. If an attacker can control directory names, and manage to get a user to `cd` into this directory, then the attacker can execute arbitrary commands contained in the folder names.

## Affected packages

- `ipython < 8.10.0`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `ipython 8.10.0`