CVE-2023-39270 – This CVE describes integer overflow vulnerabili... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-39270?

CVE-2023-39270 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This CVE describes integer overflow vulnerabilities in GTKWave's LXT2 file parser that can lead to arbitrary code execution when a malicious .lxt2 file is opened. Users of GTKWave 3.3.115 who open untrusted waveform files are affected. The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running GTKWave.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE describes integer overflow vulnerabilities in GTKWave's LXT2 file parser that can lead to arbitrary code execution when a malicious .lxt2 file is opened. Users of GTKWave 3.3.115 who open untrusted waveform files are affected. The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running GTKWave.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

GTKWave

Versions: 3.3.115

Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, macOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All installations of GTKWave 3.3.115 are vulnerable when opening .lxt2 files. The vulnerability is in the LXT2 facgeometry parsing functionality.

📦 What is this software?

Gtkwave by Tonybybell

View all CVEs affecting Gtkwave →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise via arbitrary code execution with user privileges, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.

🟠

Likely Case

Local privilege escalation or malware installation when users open malicious waveform files from untrusted sources.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if users only open trusted files and GTKWave runs with minimal privileges.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - GTKWave is typically not an internet-facing service, but malicious files could be distributed via email or downloads.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users could be targeted with malicious files, especially in engineering environments where waveform files are commonly shared.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious file. The Talos Intelligence report includes technical details that could facilitate exploit development.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Versions after 3.3.115 (check specific vendor updates)

Vendor Advisory: https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Check for updated GTKWave package from your distribution's repository. 2. For Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade gtkwave. 3. For source builds: Download latest source from official repository and rebuild.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable LXT2 file support

linux

Remove or rename GTKWave's LXT2 parser library to prevent loading of malicious .lxt2 files

sudo mv /usr/lib/gtkwave/lxt2_parser.so /usr/lib/gtkwave/lxt2_parser.so.disabled

Use file type restrictions

all

Configure system to only allow opening .lxt2 files from trusted sources

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Run GTKWave with reduced privileges using sandboxing tools like firejail or bubblewrap
Implement strict file handling policies: only open .lxt2 files from verified, trusted sources

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check GTKWave version: gtkwave --version | grep '3.3.115'

Check Version:

gtkwave --version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify updated version: gtkwave --version should show version higher than 3.3.115

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

GTKWave crash logs with memory corruption errors
Unexpected process spawning from GTKWave

Network Indicators:

Outbound connections from GTKWave process to unexpected destinations

SIEM Query:

process_name:"gtkwave" AND (event_type:"crash" OR parent_process:"gtkwave")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-39270

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-190

Published: January 8, 2024

Last Updated: November 4, 2025

🔗 References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1818 Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/04/msg00007.html
https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1818 Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2023-1818

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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