CVE-2024-47195
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 · uneditedA vulnerability has been identified in ModelSim (All versions < V2024.3), Questa (All versions < V2024.3). gdb.exe in affected applications allows a specific executable file to be loaded from the current working directory. This could allow an authenticated local attacker to inject arbitrary code and escalate privileges in installations where administrators or processes with elevated privileges launch gdb.exe from a user-writable directory.
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 confidenceThis is a binary planting vulnerability where gdb.exe in ModelSim and Questa loads executable files from the current working directory before checking system paths. An attacker with local access can place a malicious executable with an expected name in a user-writable directory, which will be loaded when an administrator or elevated process launches gdb.exe from that directory, resulting in arbitrary code execution and privilege escalation.
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< 2024.3< 2024.3CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify ModelSim or Questa installationSearch common installation paths such as C:\Mentor\, C:\Siemens\, or the Program Files directories. Look for folders containing 'ModelSim' or 'Questa' in the name. Check registry keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MentorGraphics or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens for installation paths.Affected if ModelSim or Questa software is installed on the system
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Determine installed versionLocate the main executable (vsim.exe for Questa, modelsim.exe for ModelSim) in the installation directory. Right-click the executable, select Properties, and check the File Version field. Alternatively, look for a version.txt or README file in the installation root that states the version. Compare the version number to 2024.3.Affected if Installed version is lower than 2024.3
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Locate gdb.exe in the installationNavigate to the ModelSim or Questa installation directory and search for gdb.exe. It is typically located in a subdirectory such as \\win32aloem\\, \\modelsim\\, or \\tcl\\tcl8.5\\. Use Command Prompt: dir /s /b "<install_path>\\gdb.exe" to find all instances.Affected if gdb.exe exists within the ModelSim or Questa installation folder
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Verify directory access for executionCheck if gdb.exe can be launched from user-writable directories. Open Command Prompt, navigate to a user-writable folder (such as Documents or Downloads), and run: where gdb. This shows if gdb resolves from the current directory path. Also verify that gdb.exe PATH resolution prioritizes the current working directory.Affected if gdb.exe can be executed or resolved from user-writable directories, enabling binary planting
You are affected if ModelSim or Questa versions earlier than 2024.3 are installed and gdb.exe is present, particularly if it can be launched from user-writable directories where an attacker could place a malicious executable.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped2024.3
Upgrade ModelSim and Questa to version V2024.3 or later. Additionally, ensure that gdb.exe is never launched from user-writable directories and that processes with elevated privileges use absolute paths to executables.
V2024.3
- 1. Identify whether ModelSim or Questa is installed, and note the current version (typically found in Help > About or the executable properties)
- 2. Download ModelSim V2024.3 or Questa V2024.3 from the official Siemens/Mentor Graphics download portal or through your existing license support channel
- 3. Back up any existing project files, custom libraries, or configuration files before upgrading
- 4. Run the installer for the V2024.3 release and follow the installation wizard prompts
- 5. After installation, verify the version by checking Help > About in the application to confirm V2024.3 or later is installed
- 6. Ensure that gdb.exe is only launched from trusted, non-user-writable directories to prevent any residual DLL hijacking risk
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-47195 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-47195 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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