CVE-2023-38253
W3m: out of bounds read in growbuf_to_str() at w3m/indep.c
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- redhat
Description
An out-of-bounds read flaw was found in w3m, in the growbuf_to_Str function in indep.c. This issue may allow an attacker to cause a denial of service through a crafted HTML file.
Timeline
ID reserved
By redhat
- 1 day later
· 1 day later
Published
- 19 months later
· 19 months later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| redhatCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | Medium4.7 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Medium5.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.36% · top 70% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 4.7.
Weakness
Affected products
w3m
All versions: affected
Red Hat · Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
All versions: unaffected
Fedora · Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux
All versions: affected
All versions: affected
References (6)
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-38253 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
- RHBZ#2222779 (opens in a new tab)issue-trackingx_refsource_REDHATx_transferred
- https://github.com/tats/w3m/issues/271 (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/AULOBQJLXE2KCT5UVQMKGEFL4GFIAOED/ (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/TODROGVCWZ435HQIZE6ARQC5LPQLIA5C/ (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/MKFZQUK7FPWWJQYICDZZ4YWIPUPQ2D3R/ (opens in a new tab)x_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-38253)Record last updated .