CVE-2023-35957 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A detailed overview of the multiple heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities in GTKWave 3.3.115 that can lead to arbitrary code execution via specially-crafted .fst files.

Understanding CVE-2023-35957

This section provides insight into the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-35957.

What is CVE-2023-35957?

CVE-2023-35957 involves multiple heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities in the fstReaderIterBlocks2 VCDATA parsing functionality of GTKWave 3.3.115. An attacker can exploit these vulnerabilities by tricking a victim into opening a malicious .fst file, leading to arbitrary code execution.

The Impact of CVE-2023-35957

The vulnerability allows an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution, posing a significant threat to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-35957

In this section, we delve into the vulnerability description, affected systems, versions, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability lies in the decompression function

uncompress

of GTKWave 3.3.115, allowing attackers to trigger heap-based buffer overflow by manipulating VCDATA parsing.

Affected Systems and Versions

GTKWave 3.3.115 is the specific version affected by these vulnerabilities, posing risks to users who interact with .fst files generated by untrusted sources.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit CVE-2023-35957, an attacker crafts a malicious .fst file and entices a victim to open it, triggering the heap-based buffer overflow and executing arbitrary code.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we discuss immediate steps, long-term security practices, and the importance of patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to avoid opening untrusted .fst files and disable automatic opening of such files in GTKWave until a patch is available.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing robust file validation mechanisms and user awareness training on file security can mitigate risks associated with file-based vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Vendor-provided patches and software updates for GTKWave should be promptly applied to address the multiple heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities in version 3.3.115.