CVE-2023-39128Public exploit

Debugger crash via Ada symbol decoding

Published Jul 25, 2023 · Updated Oct 24, 2024

Stack-buffer overflow in GNU Debugger 13.0.50.20220805-git allows local users to crash GDB through a crafted Ada symbol name. The ada_decode function in gdb/ada-lang.c writes beyond a dynamic stack buffer while decoding the malformed name. The flaw is reached when a user runs the command-line debugger on a crafted file, and the bounded reported consequence is termination of that GDB process.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.31%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Stack-buffer overflow in GNU Debugger 13.0.50.20220805-git allows local users to crash GDB through a crafted Ada symbol name. The ada_decode function in gdb/ada-lang.c writes beyond a dynamic stack buffer while decoding the malformed name. The flaw is reached when a user runs the command-line debugger on a crafted file, and the bounded reported consequence is termination of that GDB process.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-39128
Published
Jul 25, 2023
Updated
Oct 24, 2024
Vendor
GNU
Product
GNU Debugger (GDB)
Classifications
CWE-787, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 25, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 24, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=13.0.50.20220805-git

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

GNU · GNU Debugger (GDB)version=13.0.50.20220805-git

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS: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

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

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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