SumatraPDF: SyncTeX Argument Injection in Inverse Search Enables Arbitrary Command Execution via External Editors
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Not listed in CISA KEV
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
- Exploitation: poc
- Automatable: no
- Technical impact: total
Summary
SumatraPDF is a multi-format reader for Windows. In 3.5.2 and earlier, an attacker-controlled SyncTeX source filename is substituted for the %f placeholder in an external editor command line without safe Windows argument quoting, and the resulting command line is passed to CreateProcessW(). A user with an external editor configured or auto-detected who opens a PDF with a crafted .synctex.gz file and invokes inverse search can inject command-line flags; the resulting impact depends on the target editor interpreting those flags and can include unintended editor actions or code execution through a malicious extension. No broader impact is claimed beyond the advisory-supported conditions. No fixed version is available as of this review.
Timeline
- CVE published
- CISA SSVC assessment
Exploitation: poc · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
- Record last updated
Affected versions
- sumatrapdfreader sumatrapdf
through 3.5.2