CVE-2024-22051

Integer overflow in cmark-gfm table parsing extension leads to heap memory corruption

Workarounds

The vulnerability exists in the table markdown extensions of cmark-gfm. Disabling any use of the table extension will prevent this vulnerability from being triggered.

References

• https://github.com/github/cmark-gfm/security/advisories/GHSA-mc3g-88wq-6f4x

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Felix Wilhelm of Google's Project Zero for reporting this vulnerability

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Open an issue in CommonMarker

CommonMarker uses cmark-gfm for rendering Github Flavored Markdown. An integer overflow in cmark-gfm's table row parsing may lead to heap memory corruption when parsing tables who's marker rows contain more than UINT16_MAX columns. The impact of this heap corruption ranges from Information Leak to Arbitrary Code Execution.

If affected versions of CommonMarker are used for rendering remote user controlled markdown, this vulnerability may lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE).

An arithmetic operation produces a value that exceeds the integer type's maximum, causing it to wrap to an unexpected small value. Typical impact: incorrect size calculations leading to heap overflows or logic errors.

CVE-2024-22051 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (0.23.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

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This vulnerability has been patched in the following CommonMarker release:

• v0.23.4

1. What is CVE-2024-22051? CVE-2024-22051 is a high-severity integer overflow or wraparound vulnerability in commonmarker (rubygems), affecting versions < 0.23.4. It is fixed in 0.23.4. An arithmetic operation produces a value that exceeds the integer type's maximum, causing it to wrap to an unexpected small value.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-22051? CVE-2024-22051 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). 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.
3. Which versions of commonmarker are affected by CVE-2024-22051? commonmarker (rubygems) versions < 0.23.4 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-22051? Yes. CVE-2024-22051 is fixed in 0.23.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-22051 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-22051 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2024-22051 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2024-22051? Upgrade commonmarker to 0.23.4 or later.

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