CVE-2023-2664

Process crash via cyclic embedded-file tree

Published May 11, 2023 · Updated Jan 23, 2025

Uncontrolled recursion in Xpdf 4.04 and earlier allows local users to crash the current process by opening a crafted PDF. Catalog::readEmbeddedFileTree recursively follows embedded-file-tree objects without detecting cycles, so a loop exhausts the call stack. Processing an attacker-supplied PDF is required, and the documented impact is a process crash rather than data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity2.9
Low
EPSS probability0.30%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled recursion in Xpdf 4.04 and earlier allows local users to crash the current process by opening a crafted PDF. Catalog::readEmbeddedFileTree recursively follows embedded-file-tree objects without detecting cycles, so a loop exhausts the call stack. Processing an attacker-supplied PDF is required, and the documented impact is a process crash rather than data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2664
Published
May 11, 2023
Updated
Jan 23, 2025
Vendor
Glyph & Cog, LLC
Product
Xpdf
Classifications
CWE-674, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 11, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 23, 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=4.04

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Glyph & Cog, LLC · Xpdfversion=4.04

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
2.9Glyph & Cog, LLCCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/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.

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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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-674Uncontrolled Recursion
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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