CVE-2024-29073
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Anki 24.04 allows arbitrary file read through specially crafted LaTeX flashcards that bypass sanitization by using the verbatim package. Attackers can exploit this by sharing malicious flashcards with victims. Users of Anki 24.04 who open shared flashcards are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Ankitects Anki
📦 What is this software?
Anki by Ankiweb
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker reads sensitive system files (passwords, SSH keys, configuration files) from the victim's computer through a shared flashcard.
Likely Case
Local file disclosure of user data or configuration files from the Anki user's system when opening malicious shared flashcards.
If Mitigated
No impact if users don't open untrusted shared flashcards or have patched versions.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploit requires creating and sharing malicious flashcards; no authentication needed to trigger vulnerability.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 24.05 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2024-1992
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Anki. 2. Go to Help > Check for Updates. 3. Install update to version 24.05 or later. 4. Restart Anki.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable LaTeX rendering
allTemporarily disable LaTeX processing in Anki to prevent exploitation
Not applicable - use Anki preferences
Remove verbatim package
linuxUninstall the LaTeX verbatim package from your system
sudo apt remove texlive-latex-extra (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo yum remove texlive-verbatim (RHEL/CentOS)
brew uninstall mactex (macOS)
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Do not open shared flashcards from untrusted sources
- Use Anki in sandboxed/isolated environment
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Anki version in Help > About. If version is 24.04, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
anki --version (Linux/macOS) or check Help > About (Windows)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Anki version is 24.05 or later in Help > About.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual LaTeX processing errors
- File read attempts from unexpected locations
Network Indicators:
- Download of suspicious shared flashcard decks
SIEM Query:
Not applicable for desktop application