CVE-2023-37576
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-37576 is a use-after-free vulnerability in GTKWave's VCD file parser that allows arbitrary code execution when a malicious .vcd file is opened. Users who open untrusted .vcd files with GTKWave or its vcd2vzt conversion utility are affected. The vulnerability specifically triggers during file conversion operations.
💻 Affected Systems
- GTKWave
📦 What is this software?
Gtkwave by Tonybybell
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the user running GTKWave, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution in the context of the user opening the malicious file, potentially compromising user data and system integrity.
If Mitigated
No impact if users only open trusted .vcd files or if the application is sandboxed with appropriate restrictions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious file) and understanding of the specific use-after-free conditions in the VCD parser.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check upstream GTKWave repository for fixes after version 3.3.115
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Check for updated GTKWave packages from your distribution's repository
2. For Debian/Ubuntu: apt update && apt upgrade gtkwave
3. For source installations: Download latest version from official GTKWave repository and rebuild
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict .vcd file handling
allConfigure system to open .vcd files only with trusted applications or in sandboxed environments
Disable vcd2vzt utility
linuxRemove or restrict execute permissions on the vcd2vzt binary to prevent conversion of untrusted files
chmod -x /path/to/vcd2vzt
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Only open .vcd files from trusted sources
- Use GTKWave in a sandboxed or isolated environment with limited permissions
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check GTKWave version: gtkwave --version | grep -i versionCheck Version:
gtkwave --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify installed version is newer than 3.3.115 and test with known safe .vcd files📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- GTKWave or vcd2vzt process crashes when opening .vcd files
- Unexpected child processes spawned from GTKWave
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from GTKWave process
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent process contains 'gtkwave' or 'vcd2vzt' followed by suspicious child processes🔗 References
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1806
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1806
- https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1806
