CVE-2023-40889 — Heap-based buffer overflow in zbar — CVE Details
CRITICAL
Heap-based buffer overflow in ZBar
Published June 29, 2026Updated July 1, 2026Source: osv
Summary
A heap-based buffer overflow exists in the qr_reader_match_centers function of ZBar 0.23.90. Specially crafted QR codes may lead to information disclosure and/or arbitrary code execution. To trigger this vulnerability, an attacker can digitally input the malicious QR code, or prepare it to be physically scanned by the vulnerable scanner.
Advisory Timeline
- First published June 29, 2026 (105 days ago).
- Last revised July 1, 2026 — 2 days after initial publication.
Affected Packages (1)
Affects 1 ecosystem: pypi (1).
| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed In |
|---|---|---|---|
| zbar | pypi | 0.10 | Range-based data available |
CVSS Score Breakdown
What the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) 9.8 score means for each attack dimension.
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40889ADVISORY
- https://github.com/mchehab/zbarPACKAGE
- https://hackmd.io/@cspl/B1ZkFZv23WEB
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/12/msg00001.htmlWEB
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/25LZZQJGGZRPLKTRNRNOTAFQJIPS7WRPWEB
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DC7V5YCLCPB36J2KY6WLZCABFLBRB665WEB
- https://pypi.org/project/zbarPACKAGE
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-mhp6-jvpx-2p4mADVISORY
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-40889?
- Heap-based buffer overflow in ZBar This vulnerability has been assigned a severity rating of CRITICAL (CVSS score: 9.8/10).
- How do I check if my project is affected by CVE-2023-40889?
- CVE-2023-40889 affects zbar. Use GeekWala's free vulnerability scanner to check your dependencies against CVE-2023-40889 and 200,000+ other known vulnerabilities.
Severity & Exploitability
CVSS Score
9.8
Exploitation is straightforward and causes maximum impact. Patch immediately.
Also Known As
PYSEC-2026-576
GHSA-mhp6-jvpx-2p4m
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