CVE-2023-24809

Process crash via overlong Call-command string

Published Feb 17, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Buffer overflow in NetHack 3.6.2 through 3.6.6 allows local users to crash the game process via an overlong Call-command string. The Call (C) command copies a player-supplied name longer than its destination buffer without an adequate size check. Any local player can interrupt a game process; a suid/sgid or shared-system installation exposes a broader security boundary, but the vendor does not specify code execution.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Buffer overflow in NetHack 3.6.2 through 3.6.6 allows local users to crash the game process via an overlong Call-command string. The Call (C) command copies a player-supplied name longer than its destination buffer without an adequate size check. Any local player can interrupt a game process; a suid/sgid or shared-system installation exposes a broader security boundary, but the vendor does not specify code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-24809
Published
Feb 17, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
NetHack
Product
NetHack
Classifications
CWE-120, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 17, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 10, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=>= 3.6.2, < 3.6.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

NetHack · NetHackversion=>= 3.6.2, < 3.6.7

Published CVSS scores

6.5NetHack GitHub Security AdvisoryCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:R
5.5GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.8NetHack GitHub Security AdvisoryCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.3NetHack GitHub Security AdvisoryCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-120Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow')
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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