CVE-2013-1424
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a buffer overflow vulnerability in matplotlib that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. It affects users of matplotlib who process untrusted data files or inputs. The vulnerability was fixed in upstream commit ba4016014cb4fb4927e36ce8ea429fed47dcb787.
💻 Affected Systems
- matplotlib
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise if exploited successfully
Likely Case
Application crash or denial of service when processing malicious files
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper input validation and sandboxing are implemented
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting malicious matplotlib files or inputs
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Fixed in commit ba4016014cb4fb4927e36ce8ea429fed47dcb787
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/commit/ba4016014cb4fb4927e36ce8ea429fed47dcb787
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update matplotlib to version containing commit ba4016014cb4fb4927e36ce8ea429fed47dcb787
2. For Debian systems: apt-get update && apt-get upgrade matplotlib
3. For pip installations: pip install --upgrade matplotlib
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation and sanitization
allImplement strict input validation for matplotlib file processing
Sandbox matplotlib processing
allRun matplotlib in isolated containers or sandboxes when processing untrusted files
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict matplotlib file processing to trusted sources only
- Implement network segmentation to isolate matplotlib processing systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check matplotlib version and compare with commit history. Vulnerable if before commit ba4016014cb4fb4927e36ce8ea429fed47dcb787Check Version:
python -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.__version__)"Verify Fix Applied:
Verify matplotlib version includes commit ba4016014cb4fb4927e36ce8ea429fed47dcb787📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Matplotlib process crashes
- Memory access violation errors in application logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads to matplotlib processing endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="application.logs" AND ("matplotlib" AND ("crash" OR "segmentation fault" OR "buffer overflow"))