CVE-2023-37419: Critical Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability in GTKWave 3.3.115

Overview

In this blog post, we are discussing a critical vulnerability, CVE-2023-37419, that affects the software GTKWave 3.3.115. This vulnerability is of particular concern because it can enable an attacker to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. The affected software, GTKWave, is a waveform viewer that is widely used across many industries for debugging purposes. As such, a breach here could have far-reaching implications.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2023-37419
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: .vcd file
Privileges Required: User level
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

GTKWave | 3.3.115

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability lies in the VCD parse_valuechange portdump functionality of GTKWave 3.3.115. Specifically, multiple out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities exist, which can lead to arbitrary code execution. These vulnerabilities can be triggered via a vcd2lxt2 conversion utility.
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious .vcd file. When a victim opens this file, the vulnerabilities are triggered, potentially leading to the execution of arbitrary code with user privileges. This can lead to system compromise or data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is not actual exploit code but is meant to illustrate the general concept:

# Create a malicious .vcd file
$ echo "malicious code" > malicious.vcd
# Convert the .vcd file to .lxt2
$ vcd2lxt2 malicious.vcd malicious.lxt2
# Open the .lxt2 file in GTKWave
$ gtkwave malicious.lxt2

In this example, the “malicious code” would be replaced with actual harmful commands that are executed when the .lxt2 file is opened in GTKWave.
Remember always to apply vendor patches promptly and use WAF/IDS as a temporary mitigation. This will reduce the risk of exploitation and help to secure your systems against potential attacks.