CVE-2023-43692
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability involves out-of-bounds reads in Malwarebytes string detection utilities that can cause system crashes. It affects Malwarebytes consumer and business products before specific versions, potentially allowing denial of service attacks against systems running vulnerable versions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Malwarebytes
- Malwarebytes Nebula
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system crash or denial of service leading to system instability and potential data loss if crashes occur during critical operations.
Likely Case
Application crashes or system instability when processing specially crafted strings, disrupting security protection temporarily.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper patching as the vulnerability only affects specific versions and requires triggering through string detection.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering out-of-bounds reads through string detection, which may require specific conditions or crafted inputs.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Malwarebytes 4.6.14.326 or 5.1.5.116 and later; Nebula updates after advisory
Vendor Advisory: https://www.malwarebytes.com/secure/cves/cve-2023-43692
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Malwarebytes application 2. Navigate to Settings > About 3. Check for updates or download latest version from official website 4. Install update and restart system
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable real-time protection temporarily
allTemporarily disable real-time scanning to reduce exposure while planning update
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected systems from untrusted inputs and network shares
- Implement additional endpoint protection alongside vulnerable version
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Malwarebytes version in application settings or via command line: Windows - wmic product where "name like 'Malwarebytes%'" get versionCheck Version:
Windows: wmic product where "name like 'Malwarebytes%'" get version | macOS: /Applications/Malwarebytes.app/Contents/MacOS/mbae-cli --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 4.6.14.326 or higher for version 4.x, or 5.1.5.116 or higher for version 5.x📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crash logs from Malwarebytes service
- Unexpected termination of mbae*.exe processes
- Windows Event Logs with Malwarebytes error codes
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="*malwarebytes*" AND (event_type="crash" OR severity="critical")