Stack-based Buffer OverflowWeakness · CWE-121

CVE-2023-50734

CRITICAL · 9.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
99/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 buffer overflow vulnerability has been identified in PostScript interpreter in various Lexmark devices. The vulnerability can be leveraged by an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

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 · moderate confidence

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the PostScript interpreter component of multiple Lexmark printer devices. By sending specially crafted PostScript content, an attacker can overflow a buffer and achieve arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges on the affected device.

MitigationApply available Lexmark firmware updates addressing this vulnerability. If no patch is available, restrict network access to printer management interfaces and disable PostScript processing if not required.

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

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
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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. Identify Lexmark printer devices on the network
    Use network scanning tools (nmap, asset discovery) or check DHCP logs/DNS records to locate Lexmark printers by MAC vendor OUI or SNMP sysObjectID
    Affected if Lexmark printer devices are found on the network
  2. Determine the installed firmware version
    Access the printer web interface (http://<printer-ip>) and navigate to Settings > Firmware, or use SNMP GET on .1.3.6.1.2.1.47.1.1.1.1.9.1, or run 'lpinfo -v' via CUPS
    Affected if The firmware version cannot be verified as patched against Lexmark security advisories for CVE-2023-50734
  3. Verify PostScript interpreter is enabled
    Check printer settings via web interface under Options or Language settings, or query SNMP oid .1.3.6.1.4.1.641.1.1.1.1.2 for PostScript/PSM status
    Affected if PostScript processing is enabled and the firmware version is unpatched
  4. Assess network accessibility of printer management interface
    Check if ports 80/443/631/9100 are exposed to untrusted networks, or use nmap -p 80,443,631,9100 <printer-ip> to test accessibility
    Affected if The printer management interface is accessible from untrusted network segments without ACLs
  5. Check for signs of exploitation or abnormal behavior
    Review printer system logs via web interface or syslog export for crash dumps, PostScript job errors, or unexpected processes
    Affected if Unexpected crashes, job anomalies, or unauthorized configuration changes are logged after the CVE disclosure date

A user is affected if Lexmark printer devices with unpatched firmware are present AND PostScript processing is enabled, making them reachable either locally or remotely.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply available Lexmark firmware updates addressing this vulnerability. If no patch is available, restrict network access to printer management interfaces and disable PostScript processing if not required.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,280
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-50734 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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