{"id":36335,"date":"2025-05-08T12:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T12:44:14","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-08-30T04:38:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T10:38:27","slug":"cve-2023-37419-critical-arbitrary-code-execution-vulnerability-in-gtkwave-3-3-115","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2023-37419-critical-arbitrary-code-execution-vulnerability-in-gtkwave-3-3-115\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2023-37419: Critical Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability in GTKWave 3.3.115<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2023-37419
\nSeverity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
\nAttack Vector: .vcd file
\nPrivileges Required: User level
\nUser Interaction: Required
\nImpact: Potential system compromise or data leakage<\/a><\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

GTKWave | 3.3.115<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

# Create a malicious .vcd file\n$ echo \"malicious code\" > malicious.vcd\n# Convert the .vcd file to .lxt2\n$ vcd2lxt2 malicious.vcd malicious.lxt2\n# Open the .lxt2 file in GTKWave\n$ gtkwave malicious.lxt2<\/code><\/pre>\n
In this example, the “malicious code”<\/a> would be replaced with actual harmful commands that are executed when the .lxt2 file is opened in GTKWave.
\nRemember 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<\/a> attacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[],"product":[],"attack_vector":[86,80],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-36335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","attack_vector-buffer-overflow","attack_vector-rce"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t