Luatex
CVE-2023-32700
HIGH
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Command injection prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Impact | CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). Attack characteristics: local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local attacker with access to the system could inject arbitrary commands into system command execution. No authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability. |
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Alert meAnalysisAI
LuaTeX before 1.17.0 allows execution of arbitrary shell commands when compiling a TeX file obtained from an untrusted source. Rated high severity (CVSS 7.8), this vulnerability is no authentication required, low attack complexity. This Command Injection vulnerability could allow attackers to inject arbitrary commands into system command execution.
RemediationAI
A vendor patch is available. Apply the latest security update as soon as possible. Use parameterized APIs, avoid shell execution, validate input with strict allowlists.
Affects your stack
Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
This vulnerability is classified as Command Injection (CWE-77), which allows attackers to inject arbitrary commands into system command execution. LuaTeX before 1.17.0 allows execution of arbitrary shell commands when compiling a TeX file obtained from an untrusted source. This occurs because luatex-core.lua lets the original io.popen be accessed. This also affects TeX Live before 2023 r66984 and MiKTeX before 23.5. Affected products include: Luatex Project Luatex, Miktex, Tug Tex Live. Version information: before 1.17.0.
Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
DescriptionNVD
LuaTeX before 1.17.0 allows execution of arbitrary shell commands when compiling a TeX file obtained from an untrusted source. This occurs because luatex-core.lua lets the original io.popen be accessed. This also affects TeX Live before 2023 r66984 and MiKTeX before 23.5.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
GitHub
Exploit-DB