CVE-2023-39150
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2023-39150 is a critical vulnerability in ConEmu terminal emulator where improper sanitization of title responses containing control characters could allow arbitrary code execution. This affects users running ConEmu versions before commit 230724 (July 24, 2023). The vulnerability represents an incomplete fix for the previously disclosed CVE-2022-46387.
💻 Affected Systems
- ConEmu
📦 What is this software?
Conemu by Maximus5
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining complete control over the affected system, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Remote code execution with the privileges of the ConEmu user, allowing attackers to install malware, steal credentials, or pivot to other systems.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation and least privilege principles are implemented, potentially containing the attack to isolated segments.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is related to a previously disclosed CVE (CVE-2022-46387) with known exploitation patterns, making weaponization likely. The public gist provides technical details that could facilitate exploit development.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Commit 60683a186628ffaa7689fcb64b3c38ced69287c1 or later (July 24, 2023+)
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/Maximus5/ConEmu/commit/60683a186628ffaa7689fcb64b3c38ced69287c1
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the latest ConEmu release from the official GitHub repository. 2. Uninstall the vulnerable version. 3. Install the updated version. 4. Restart any active ConEmu sessions.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Terminal Title Updates
windowsPrevent ConEmu from processing terminal title responses which could contain malicious control characters
Set 'Features' -> 'ANSI X3.64' to 'Disable' in ConEmu settings
Use Alternative Terminal
windowsTemporarily switch to Windows Terminal, PowerShell, or cmd.exe until ConEmu is patched
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Network segmentation: Isolate systems running vulnerable ConEmu versions from critical assets
- Application control: Restrict execution of unauthorized binaries to limit post-exploitation capabilities
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ConEmu version in Help -> About dialog. If build date is before July 24, 2023, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
conemu64.exe --version or check Help -> About in the ConEmu interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
Verify ConEmu version shows build date July 24, 2023 or later in Help -> About dialog.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from ConEmu.exe
- Suspicious command execution patterns in terminal sessions
- Anomalous network connections originating from ConEmu processes
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from ConEmu to external IPs
- DNS queries for known malicious domains from ConEmu processes
SIEM Query:
Process Creation where ParentImage contains 'ConEmu.exe' AND (CommandLine contains 'powershell' OR CommandLine contains 'cmd.exe /c' OR CommandLine contains unusual patterns)