Ghostty 1.4.0

Your terminal emulator now processes graphics, animations, and large data payloads significantly faster with reduced memory overhead.

Ghostty released version 1.4.0 on October 27, 2026, a major update developed over seven months with contributions from 172 individuals. Key improvements include significant performance and memory enhancements, a complete implementation of Kitty graphics protocol features like animation and relative placements, and better SSH integration. This release addresses numerous security vulnerabilities found in previous versions, ranging from paste protection flaws and malicious Kitty graphics commands to issues with tmux control mode and terminal output that could lead to crashes, arbitrary command execution, or data corruption. The update also brings compatibility fixes for macOS 27 (Golden Gate) and maintains support for macOS 13 (Ventura) and later. Ghostty 1.4.0 introduces transparent compression for scrollback, reducing memory usage by 70-90%, and raises the default scrollback limit to 50 MB. Performance gains are notable across platforms, with faster VT processing, I/O throughput, and quicker rendering and launch times. Linux and FreeBSD users benefit from a new OpenGL rendering pipeline.

Ghostty 1.4.0 achieves a groundbreaking 100% implementation of the Kitty graphics protocol, including animations and relative placements, a first for any terminal outside of Kitty itself. This advancement, coupled with performance optimizations that make parsing image payloads up to 16x faster, signals a new era for rich media within terminal environments. Developers can now leverage animated images and complex graphical layouts directly in their command-line workflows, potentially enhancing debugging, data visualization, and interactive applications. The implications extend to how terminal applications are designed, moving beyond text-based interactions toward more dynamic and visually engaging experiences.

The extensive security fixes in Ghostty 1.4.0 address critical vulnerabilities related to arbitrary command execution, data corruption, and denial-of-service attacks. By blocking unsafe hyperlink targets, confirming custom URL schemes, and fixing vulnerabilities in paste protection and Kitty graphics command handling, the release significantly hardens the terminal environment against malicious input. Users of systems with sensitive data or those frequently interacting with untrusted codebases will experience a markedly reduced attack surface. The focus on comprehensive security, particularly in handling external input like copied text, hyperlinks, and graphical commands, sets a higher standard for terminal emulator security moving forward.