dbcve.org
FedoraOperating system · Fedoraproject

CVE-2023-25358

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.36.8 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A use-after-free vulnerability in WebCore::RenderLayer::addChild in WebKitGTK before 2.36.8 allows attackers to execute code remotely.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in WebCore::RenderLayer::addChild in WebKitGTK versions prior to 2.36.8. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting memory that is accessed after being freed, likely through specially crafted web content processed by the rendering engine.

MitigationUpgrade WebKitGTK to version 2.36.8 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations using WebKitGTK in web-facing applications should prioritize this update given the high CVSS score and remote code execution capability.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 38
WebkitgtkWeb browser
Affected:< 2.36.8

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if WebKitGTK is installed
    On Linux systems, run `dpkg -l | grep webkit` (Debian/Ubuntu) or `rpm -qa | grep webkit` (RHEL/Fedora/CentOS) to list installed WebKit packages.
    Affected if No WebKitGTK packages are found in the package manager listings, then the system is not affected by this specific vulnerability.
  2. Identify installed WebKitGTK version
    Run `pkg-config --modversion webkit2gtk-4.1` for GTK4 systems or `pkg-config --modversion webkit2gtk-4.0` for GTK3 systems. Alternatively, use `rpm -q webkit2gtk` on Fedora/RHEL systems.
    Affected if The version output is blank, unreadable, or indicates no webkit2gtk package is installed.
  3. Compare version against affected range
    Compare the installed version number to the vulnerable range: WebKitGTK versions prior to 2.36.8. If using Fedora, run `rpm -q webkit2gtk` to see the exact version installed.
    Affected if The installed version is less than 2.36.8 (for example, 2.36.7, 2.36.6, 2.34.x, etc.), indicating the system is running a vulnerable version.
  4. Check for applications using WebKitGTK
    Identify applications that depend on WebKitGTK by searching for process names (such as Epiphany, GNOME Web, GTK-based browsers) or checking library dependencies with `ldd /path/to/application | grep webkit`.
    Affected if WebKitGTK is present in the system but no applications are currently using it, the exploitation surface may be limited, though the vulnerable library remains on the system.

The system is affected if WebKitGTK version 2.36.8 or later is not installed, particularly on Fedora 38 or systems running WebKitGTK-based applications that process remote web content.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.36.8 or later
Fixed in 2.36.8
Interim mitigation

Upgrade WebKitGTK to version 2.36.8 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations using WebKitGTK in web-facing applications should prioritize this update given the high CVSS score and remote code execution capability.

Recommended fix High confidence

WebKitGTK 2.36.8

  1. 1. Check the current WebKitGTK version installed: `rpm -q webkitgtk`
  2. 2. Update WebKitGTK to version 2.36.8 or later using the Fedora package manager: `sudo dnf update webkitgtk`
  3. 3. Verify the updated version is 2.36.8 or higher: `rpm -q webkitgtk`
  4. 4. Restart any applications that use WebKitGTK (such as web browsers or email clients) to load the patched library

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Fedora Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,400
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,840.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-25358 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data