Arbitrary command execution via unsanitized compressed filename
Published Jan 8, 2024 · Updated Nov 4, 2025
OS command injection in GTKWave 3.3.115 allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands when a crafted .gz wave file is opened. In vcd2lxt's vcd_main(), the .gz path concatenates WAVE_DECOMPRESSOR with the unsanitized input filename and passes the string to popen(). Execution requires a victim to open an attacker-named file, and injected commands run with that user's privileges.
Summary
What happened
OS command injection in GTKWave 3.3.115 allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands when a crafted .gz wave file is opened. In vcd2lxt's vcd_main(), the .gz path concatenates WAVE_DECOMPRESSOR with the unsanitized input filename and passes the string to popen(). Execution requires a victim to open an attacker-named file, and injected commands run with that user's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-35964
- Published
- Jan 8, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 4, 2025
- Vendor
- GTKWave
- Product
- GTKWave
- Classifications
- CWE-78, T1204.002, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 8, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 4, 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=3.3.115
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
- Cisco Talos malicious-filename proof of conceptproof of concept · 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