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CVE-2023-22485

cmark-gfm out-of-bounds read in validate_protocol

5.3 MediumFix available

cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior 0.29.0.gfm.7, a crafted markdown document can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function. We believe this bug is harmless in practice, because the out-of-bounds read accesses malloc metadata without causing any visible damage.This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.7.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.73%Down 0.2 points since Jan 24, 2023
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 5.3

cmark-gfm out-of-bounds read in validate_protocol

cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior 0.29.0.gfm.7, a crafted markdown document can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function. We believe this bug is harmless in practice, because the out-of-bounds read accesses malloc metadata without causing any visible damage.This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.7.

Record
CVE-2023-22485
CVSS 3.1
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-125
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-26632 5.3

cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior 0.29.0.gfm.7, a crafted markdown document can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function. We believe this bug is harmless in practice, because the out-of-bounds read accesses malloc metadata without causing any visible damage.This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.7.

Record
EUVD-2023-26632
CVSS 3.1
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 5.3

cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior 0.29.0.gfm.7, a crafted markdown document can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function. We believe this bug is harmless in practice, because the out-of-bounds read accesses malloc metadata without causing any visible damage.This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.7.

Record
CVE-2023-22485
CVSS 3.1
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-125, CWE-91
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.3

cmark-gfm out-of-bounds read in validate_protocol

cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior 0.29.0.gfm.7, a crafted markdown document can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function. We believe this bug is harmless in practice, because the out-of-bounds read accesses malloc metadata without causing any visible damage.This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.7.

Record
CVE-2023-22485
CVSS 3.1
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-125
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2023-22485 5.3

cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior 0.29.0.gfm.7, a crafted markdown document can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function. We believe this bug is harmless in practice, because the out-of-bounds read accesses malloc metadata without causing any visible damage.This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.7.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2023-22485
CVSS 3.1
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2023-22485 5.3

cmark-gfm is GitHub's fork of cmark, a CommonMark parsing and rendering library and program in C. In versions prior 0.29.0.gfm.7, a crafted markdown document can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function. We believe this bug is harmless in practice, because the out-of-bounds read accesses malloc metadata without causing any visible damage.This vulnerability has been patched in 0.29.0.gfm.7.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2023-22485
CVSS 3.1
5.3 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVRSEC-2023-8 No score

Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerabilities

cmark-gfm, GitHub's extended version of the CommonMark library in C, suffers from multiple vulnerabilities affecting versions prior to 0.29.0.gfm.12. Various issues, including polynomial time complexity in multiple components like autolink extension, handle_close_bracket, and parsing of certain text patterns (leading >, -, _), may lead to unbounded resource exhaustion and denial of service. An out-of-bounds read in the validate_protocol function was also identified but is considered less harmful. Patches are available in versions 0.29.0.gfm.7, 0.29.0.gfm.10, and 0.29.0.gfm.12. Upgrading is advised, and users unable to upgrade should validate input from trusted sources.

Record
RSEC-2023-8
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
cmark-gfm
Debian:12
All versions, plus listed versions
0.29.0.gfm.13-10.29.0.gfm.13-20.29.0.gfm.13-30.29.0.gfm.13-40.29.0.gfm.13-70.29.0.gfm.13-7.10.29.0.gfm.6-6
None known
cmark-gfm
Debian:13
before 0.29.0.gfm.13-1
0.29.0.gfm.13-1
cmark-gfm
Debian:14
before 0.29.0.gfm.13-1
0.29.0.gfm.13-1
python-cmarkgfm
Debian:12
All versions, plus listed versions
0.8.0-32024.11.20-12025.10.22-12025.10.22-2
None known
python-cmarkgfm
Debian:13
before 2024.11.20-1
2024.11.20-1
python-cmarkgfm
Debian:14
before 2024.11.20-1
2024.11.20-1
r-cran-commonmark
Debian:12
All versions, plus listed versions
1.8.1-11.9.0-11.9.1-11.9.2-11.9.2-2
Show 4 moreShow less
1.9.5-12.0.0-12.0.0-22.0.0-3
None known
r-cran-commonmark
Debian:13
before 1.9.0-1
1.9.0-1
r-cran-commonmark
Debian:14
before 1.9.0-1
1.9.0-1
ruby-commonmarker
Debian:12
All versions, plus listed versions
0.23.10-10.23.6-10.23.9-12.10.0-12.10.0-2
Show 5 moreShow less
2.10.1-12.8.3-12.8.3-22.8.3-32.8.3-4
None known
Show 6 moreShow less
Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
ruby-commonmarker
Debian:13
before 0.23.10-1
0.23.10-1
ruby-commonmarker
Debian:14
before 0.23.10-1
0.23.10-1
commonmark
CRAN
From an advisory covering 7 CVEs
0.2 up to 1.9.2, plus listed versions
0.40.50.60.70.8
Show 14 moreShow less
0.91.01.11.21.41.51.61.71.81.91.9.11.8.01.8.11.9.0
1.9.2
cmark-gfm
Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
0.28.3.gfm.20-30.29.0.gfm.0-30.29.0.gfm.0-40.29.0.gfm.0-4ubuntu0.1~esm1
None known
cmark-gfm
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
0.29.0.gfm.0-60.29.0.gfm.2-10.29.0.gfm.2-1+really.0.29.0.gfm.0ubuntu10.29.0.gfm.2-20.29.0.gfm.3-3
None known
cmark-gfm
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
0.29.0.gfm.6-60.29.0.gfm.6-6build1
None known

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, facts
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2023-22485 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Github Cmark-gfm, published January 24, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.73%, the 54th percentile. Fixed in cmark-gfm 0.29.0.gfm.13-1.

References

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