CVE-2023-4255: W3m: out-of-bounds write in function checktype() in etc.c (incomplete fix for cve-2022-38223)
First published: Tue Dec 19 2023(Updated: )
An out-of-bounds write issue has been discovered in the backspace handling of the checkType() function in etc.c within the W3M application. This vulnerability is triggered by supplying a specially crafted HTML file to the w3m binary. Exploitation of this flaw could lead to application crashes, resulting in a denial of service condition.
Credit: secalert@redhat.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| debian/w3m | <=0.5.3-37<=0.5.3-37+deb10u1<=0.5.3+git20210102-6+deb11u1<=0.5.3+git20230121-2 | |
| ubuntu/w3m | <0.5.3-36ubuntu0.1+ | 0.5.3-36ubuntu0.1+ |
| ubuntu/w3m | <0.5.3-37ubuntu0.2 | 0.5.3-37ubuntu0.2 |
| ubuntu/w3m | <0.5.3+ | 0.5.3+ |
| ubuntu/w3m | <0.5.3+ | 0.5.3+ |
| ubuntu/w3m | <0.5.3+ | 0.5.3+ |
| ubuntu/w3m | <0.5.3-15ubuntu0.2+ | 0.5.3-15ubuntu0.2+ |
| w3m | =0.5.3\+git20230121-1 | |
| w3m | =0.5.3\+git20230121-2 | |
| w3m | =0.5.3\+git20230129 | |
| Fedora EPEL | =8.0 | |
| Fedora | =39 |
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Reference Links
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2022-38223
- https://github.com/tats/w3m/issues/268
- https://github.com/tats/w3m/pull/273
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=2255209
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi/show_bug.cgi?id=2255208
- https://github.com/tats/w3m/commit/edc602651c506aeeb60544b55534dd1722a340d3
- https://github.com/tats/w3m/issues/282
- https://github.com/tats/w3m/pull/285
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2255207
- https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2023-4255
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/AULOBQJLXE2KCT5UVQMKGEFL4GFIAOED/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TODROGVCWZ435HQIZE6ARQC5LPQLIA5C/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MKFZQUK7FPWWJQYICDZZ4YWIPUPQ2D3R/
- https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2023-4255
- https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6580-1
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4255
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4255
- https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2023-4255
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2023-4255?
CVE-2023-4255 is classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to allow an out-of-bounds write in the W3M application.
How do I fix CVE-2023-4255?
To remediate CVE-2023-4255, upgrade to the latest version of the W3M package that is not affected, specifically versions beyond 0.5.3-37.
What systems are vulnerable to CVE-2023-4255?
CVE-2023-4255 affects various versions of the W3M application on Debian and Ubuntu systems.
What is the impact of exploiting CVE-2023-4255?
Exploiting CVE-2023-4255 could lead to application crashes or arbitrary code execution due to an out-of-bounds write.
How can users identify if they are using a vulnerable version of W3M affected by CVE-2023-4255?
Users should check their W3M version; any version up to and including 0.5.3-37 is potentially vulnerable to CVE-2023-4255.
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