Summary
serde deserialization for FamStructWrapper lacks bound checks that could potentially lead to out-of-bounds memory access
Impacted versions: >= 0.5.0
Impact
An issue was discovered in the FamStructWrapper::deserialize implementation provided by the crate for vmm_sys_util::fam::FamStructWrapper, which can lead to out of bounds memory accesses. The deserialization does not check that the length stored in the header matches the flexible array length. Mismatch in the lengths might allow out of bounds memory access through Rust-safe methods.
A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or arbitrary code execution.
CVE-2023-50711 has a CVSS score of 5.7 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.12.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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The issue was corrected in version 0.12.0 by inserting a check that verifies the lengths of compared flexible arrays are equal for any deserialized header and aborting deserialization otherwise. Moreover, the API was changed so that header length can only be modified through Rust-unsafe code. This ensures that users cannot trigger out-of-bounds memory access from Rust-safe code.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-50711? CVE-2023-50711 is a medium-severity out-of-bounds write vulnerability in vmm-sys-util (rust), affecting versions >= 0.5.0, < 0.12.0. It is fixed in 0.12.0. A write operation targets a memory location beyond the intended buffer boundary.
- How severe is CVE-2023-50711? CVE-2023-50711 has a CVSS score of 5.7 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of vmm-sys-util are affected by CVE-2023-50711? vmm-sys-util (rust) versions >= 0.5.0, < 0.12.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-50711? Yes. CVE-2023-50711 is fixed in 0.12.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-50711 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-50711 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-50711 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-50711? Upgrade
vmm-sys-utilto 0.12.0 or later.