Remote code execution via client-name length underflow
Published Jun 7, 2023 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Integer underflow in RenderDoc before 1.27 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through a crafted TCP handshake. StreamReader::ReadFromExternal subtracts a read count above 10 MB from a 64 KB buffer size, casts the negative result to uint32_t, and passes the resulting huge length to recv(), overflowing a heap buffer. Exploitation requires the librenderdoc server thread to listen on unauthenticated TCP port 38920; the demonstrated Linux exploit executes code as the RenderDoc process.
Summary
What happened
Integer underflow in RenderDoc before 1.27 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through a crafted TCP handshake. StreamReader::ReadFromExternal subtracts a read count above 10 MB from a 64 KB buffer size, casts the negative result to uint32_t, and passes the resulting huge length to recv(), overflowing a heap buffer. Exploitation requires the librenderdoc server thread to listen on unauthenticated TCP port 38920; the demonstrated Linux exploit executes code as the RenderDoc process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-33864
- Published
- Jun 7, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-190, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 7, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 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?
What conditions does exploitation require?
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
- Qualys RenderDoc TCP handshake exploitfunctional · demonstrated
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