CVE-2023-37922
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows arbitrary code execution when GTKWave processes a specially crafted .vcd file. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into opening malicious files, potentially gaining full control of the victim's system. Anyone using GTKWave to analyze VCD files is affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- GTKWave
📦 What is this software?
Gtkwave by Tonybybell
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining root/administrator privileges and persistent access.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to data theft, lateral movement, or ransomware deployment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if file execution is restricted to isolated environments with proper sandboxing.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file). No public exploit code available as of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.3.116 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Download latest GTKWave from official repository. 2. Uninstall current version. 3. Install patched version. 4. Verify installation with version check.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict VCD file processing
allLimit GTKWave usage to trusted files only and avoid processing untrusted .vcd files.
Sandbox execution
linuxRun GTKWave in isolated container or sandbox environment.
docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/data gtkwave
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable vcd2lxt2 utility if not required.
- Implement strict file validation for .vcd inputs.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check GTKWave version: gtkwave --versionCheck Version:
gtkwave --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 3.3.116 or higher: gtkwave --version | grep -E '3\.3\.(11[6-9]|12[0-9]|[4-9][0-9])'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process execution from GTKWave
- Memory access violations in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Outbound connections from GTKWave process
SIEM Query:
process_name:"gtkwave" AND (process_args:"*.vcd" OR process_args:"vcd2lxt2")🔗 References
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1807
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
- https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1807
- https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1807
