Memory corruption via htmlescape heap buffer overflow
Published May 17, 2021 · Updated Jul 9, 2026
Heap-based buffer overflow in GNU LibreDWG 0.10.2641 allows remote attackers to corrupt memory through a crafted DWG file. The htmlescape function in programs/escape.c writes beyond its heap buffer while dwg2SVG converts attacker-controlled text from the file to SVG. Exploitation requires a user or automated workflow to process the file with dwg2SVG, causing a crash and memory corruption within that process.
Summary
What happened
Heap-based buffer overflow in GNU LibreDWG 0.10.2641 allows remote attackers to corrupt memory through a crafted DWG file. The htmlescape function in programs/escape.c writes beyond its heap buffer while dwg2SVG converts attacker-controlled text from the file to SVG. Exploitation requires a user or automated workflow to process the file with dwg2SVG, causing a crash and memory corruption within that process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-21819
- Published
- May 17, 2021
- Updated
- Jul 9, 2026
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1204.002
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 17, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- LibreDWG dwg2SVG crafted DWG proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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