tic process crash via unchecked string-save failure
Published Dec 12, 2023 · Updated Nov 4, 2025
Denial of service in ncurses 6.4-20230418 allows local users to crash tic by processing a crafted terminfo source file. When tic processes extended capabilities before the terminal description is initialized, parse_entry.c fails to reject a null return from _nc_save_str, leaving invalid state that reaches _nc_wrap_entry. Exploitation requires a local user to make tic parse the file; normally trusted terminfo input limits the consequence to crashing the invoked tic process.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in ncurses 6.4-20230418 allows local users to crash tic by processing a crafted terminfo source file. When tic processes extended capabilities before the terminal description is initialized, parse_entry.c fails to reject a null return from _nc_save_str, leaving invalid state that reaches _nc_wrap_entry. Exploitation requires a local user to make tic parse the file; normally trusted terminfo input limits the consequence to crashing the invoked tic process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-50495
- Published
- Dec 12, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 4, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 12, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 4, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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