CVE-2023-32665

Application denial of service via recursive GVariant normalization

Published Sep 14, 2023 · Updated Feb 13, 2025

Resource exhaustion in GLib before 2.74.4 allows context-dependent attackers to interrupt an application by supplying a crafted GVariant. The g_variant_get_normal_form() function processes untrusted, non-normal arrays or tuples by recursively expanding child values, causing work and memory use to grow exponentially. Execution requires an application to deserialize attacker-supplied GVariant data and user interaction; resource exhaustion can hang or terminate that application.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in GLib before 2.74.4 allows context-dependent attackers to interrupt an application by supplying a crafted GVariant. The g_variant_get_normal_form() function processes untrusted, non-normal arrays or tuples by recursively expanding child values, causing work and memory use to grow exponentially. Execution requires an application to deserialize attacker-supplied GVariant data and user interaction; resource exhaustion can hang or terminate that application.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-32665
Published
Sep 14, 2023
Updated
Feb 13, 2025
Vendor
Red Hat
Product
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 14, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 13, 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?

Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8Affected versions are unavailable in this record.
Fedora Project · Fedora LinuxAffected versions are unavailable in this record.
XMLSoft · GLibAffected versions are unavailable in this record.
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9Affected versions are unavailable in this record.
Fedora Project · Extra Packages for Enterprise LinuxAffected versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.5Red Hat, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
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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