Heap-based Buffer OverflowWeakness · CWE-122

CVE-2023-50739

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-01-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) 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 Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) implementation on Lexmark devices. The memory corruption flaw allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory regions on the stack or heap, potentially achieving arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.

MitigationRestrict network access to IPP services (port 631/TCP), disable IPP if not required, and apply Lexmark firmware updates when released. Network segmentation of printer devices provides additional defense-in-depth.

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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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. Identify the device as a Lexmark printer
    Access the printer web interface (embedded web server) or check the device label/menu system to confirm the manufacturer is Lexmark. Note the exact model number.
    Affected if The device is not a Lexmark printer, then this CVE does not apply.
  2. Determine the installed firmware version
    Access the printer web interface under 'Settings' or 'General' > 'Firmware' page, or print a configuration/menu settings page from the printer control panel. Record the firmware version string.
    Affected if Firmware version cannot be determined or is unknown; further comparison with Lexmark's affected version list is required.
  3. Verify if IPP service is enabled
    Access the printer web interface and navigate to 'Settings' > 'Network/Ports' > 'IPP' or 'Internet Printing Protocol'. Check if the IPP service is set to 'Enabled' or 'Active'.
    Affected if IPP is enabled - the vulnerability can be exploited. If IPP is disabled, the attack surface is not present.
  4. Check IPP listening configuration
    In the IPP settings page, note the IP addresses or interfaces IPP is bound to (e.g., all interfaces, specific IP, localhost). Also check if IPP uses the standard ports 631 or 80.
    Affected if IPP is bound to external/network interfaces (not localhost only), making it accessible over the network.

The device is affected if it is a Lexmark printer with IPP enabled and a firmware version that falls within the affected range; exposure is worse if IPP is accessible from untrusted networks.

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

Restrict network access to IPP services (port 631/TCP), disable IPP if not required, and apply Lexmark firmware updates when released. Network segmentation of printer devices provides additional defense-in-depth.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2023-50739 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
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