CVE-2026-63729
The SyncTeX parser (synctex_parser.c) shipped with TeX Live and embedded by downstream consumers such as GNOME Evince contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability that allows attackers to crash applications or potentially execute arbitrary code by…
Does this matter?
Lower severity and a low EPSS score (0.12%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.
Description
The SyncTeX parser (synctex_parser.c) shipped with TeX Live and embedded by downstream consumers such as GNOME Evince contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability that allows attackers to crash applications or potentially execute arbitrary code by supplying a malformed .synctex or .synctex.gz file. A malformed SyncTeX file can construct a ref node with a NULL parent pointer, causing the replacement routine to fail to detach the node from its sibling chain, which triggers recursive freeing of live tree nodes and leaves dangling pointers that are later accessed by the parser during document load.
- CVSS 4.0
- 6.8 MEDIUMCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/M
- EPSS
- 0.12% probability · 2th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-416
- Source
- disclosure@vulncheck.com
References
- https://fatihhcelik.github.io/posts/evince-synctex-heap-use-after-free/
- https://github.com/TeX-Live/texlive-source/
- https://github.com/TeX-Live/texlive-source/commit/002dcd3eac30db5c352f53d4181737961cc7ee9a
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/tex-live-synctex-parser-heap-use-after-free-via-malformed-synctex-file
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.