CLI crash via unhandled invalid UTF-8
Published Feb 22, 2023 · Updated Mar 11, 2025
Improper alternate-encoding handling in markdown-it-py before 2.2.0 allows local users to crash its CLI with an invalid UTF-8 file. The convert_file function reads Markdown through the platform-default text decoder without handling decoding errors, so an invalid byte terminates the process instead of producing output. The attacker must be able to place or select a malformed file for CLI parsing; the affected invocation crashes, while the library parser and other processes remain outside the reported impact.
Summary
What happened
Improper alternate-encoding handling in markdown-it-py before 2.2.0 allows local users to crash its CLI with an invalid UTF-8 file. The convert_file function reads Markdown through the platform-default text decoder without handling decoding errors, so an invalid byte terminates the process instead of producing output. The attacker must be able to place or select a malformed file for CLI parsing; the affected invocation crashes, while the library parser and other processes remain outside the reported impact.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-26302
- Published
- Feb 22, 2023
- Updated
- Mar 11, 2025
- Vendor
- Executable Books
- Product
- markdown-it-py
- Classifications
- CWE-173, CAPEC-267
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 22, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 11, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <v2.2.0 changes=[{"at":"commit 53ca3e9","status":"unaffected"}]
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo