Local code execution via schema error handling
Published Feb 17, 2023 · Updated Mar 18, 2025
Stack-based buffer overflow in flatcc 0.6.0 allows local users to execute arbitrary code by compiling a crafted schema file. In parser.c, error_ref_sym decrements a zero size_t after filling its fixed stack buffer, wraps the remaining-length counter, and then copies more identifier text past the buffer. Exploitation requires local access to invoke the flatcc compiler with a malicious schema and can crash the process or run code in the compiler's security context.
Summary
What happened
Stack-based buffer overflow in flatcc 0.6.0 allows local users to execute arbitrary code by compiling a crafted schema file. In parser.c, error_ref_sym decrements a zero size_t after filling its fixed stack buffer, wraps the remaining-length counter, and then copies more identifier text past the buffer. Exploitation requires local access to invoke the flatcc compiler with a malicious schema and can crash the process or run code in the compiler's security context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-33983
- Published
- Feb 17, 2023
- Updated
- Mar 18, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-120, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 17, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 18, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Crafted-schema stack-overflow proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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