CVE catalog

CVE-2023-38252

w3m: CVE-2023-38252

Severity: Medium · CVSS 5.5CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Published: Jun 29, 2023, 12:00:00 AM UTC
Source: [NVD] · [CVE record]
EPSS: 0.36% · Oct 27, 2026

An out-of-bounds read flaw was found in w3m, in the Strnew_size function in Str.c. This issue may allow an attacker to cause a denial of service through a crafted HTML file.

Vulnerable and fixed packages

Distribution-reported package versions and fixes. These do not depend on matching against the OpenFactory package catalog.

Distribution	Package	Release	Version	Status
Debian	w3m	sid	`0.5.3+git20230121-2.3`	vulnerable
Debian	w3m	forky	`0.5.3+git20230121-2.3`	vulnerable
Debian	w3m	trixie	`0.5.3+git20230121-2.1`	vulnerable
Debian	w3m	bookworm	`0.5.3+git20230121-2`	vulnerable
Alpine	w3m	3.23	`0.5.3_git20241203-r0`	fixed
Opensuse	w3m	tumbleweed	`0.5.3+git20230121-2.1`	fixed
Suse	w3m	linux enterprise module for basesystem 15 sp4	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	fixed
Suse	w3m	linux enterprise module for basesystem 15 sp5	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	fixed
Opensuse	w3m	leap 15.4	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	fixed
Opensuse	w3m	leap 15.5	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	fixed
Ubuntu	w3m	pro	`0.5.3-34`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	pro	`0.5.3-34.1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	pro	`0.5.3-35`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	pro	`0.5.3-36`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	pro	`0.5.3-36build1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	pro	`0.5.3-36ubuntu0.1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	pro	`0.5.3-36ubuntu0.1+esm1`	fixed
Ubuntu	w3m	16.04	`0.5.3-24`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	16.04	`0.5.3-25`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	16.04	`0.5.3-26`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	16.04	`0.5.3-26build1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	16.04	`0.5.3-26ubuntu0.1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	16.04	`0.5.3-26ubuntu0.2`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	20.04	`0.5.3-37`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	20.04	`0.5.3-37ubuntu0.1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	20.04	`0.5.3-37ubuntu0.2`	fixed
Ubuntu	w3m	22.04	`0.5.3+git20210102-6build1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	22.04	`0.5.3+git20210102-6build2`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	22.04	`0.5.3+git20210102-6build3`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	22.04	`0.5.3+git20210102-6ubuntu0.1`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	22.04	`0.5.3+git20210102-6ubuntu0.2`	fixed
Ubuntu	w3m	24.04	`0.5.3+git20230121-2`	vulnerable
Ubuntu	w3m	24.04	`0.5.3+git20230121-2ubuntu1`	fixed

Fixed-version evidence

Distribution	Package	Type	Release	Fixed version	Urgency	Origin	Bugs
Debian	w3m	source	sid	`(unfixed)`	unimportant	Not reported	Not reported
Debian	w3m	source	forky	`(unfixed)`	unimportant	Not reported	Not reported
Debian	w3m	source	trixie	`(unfixed)`	unimportant	Not reported	Not reported
Debian	w3m	source	bookworm	`(unfixed)`	unimportant	Not reported	Not reported
Alpine	w3m	apk	3.23	`0.5.3_git20241203-r0`	Not reported	ALPINE-CVE-2023-38252	Not reported
Opensuse	w3m	rpm	tumbleweed	`0.5.3+git20230121-2.1`	Not reported	OPENSUSE-SU-2024:13138-1	Not reported
Suse	w3m	rpm	linux enterprise module for basesystem 15 sp4	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	Not reported	SUSE-SU-2023:4439-1	Not reported
Suse	w3m	rpm	linux enterprise module for basesystem 15 sp5	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	Not reported	SUSE-SU-2023:4439-1	Not reported
Opensuse	w3m	rpm	leap 15.4	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	Not reported	SUSE-SU-2023:4439-1	Not reported
Opensuse	w3m	rpm	leap 15.5	`0.5.3+git20230121-150000.3.6.1`	Not reported	SUSE-SU-2023:4439-1	Not reported
Ubuntu	w3m	deb	pro	`0.5.3-36ubuntu0.1+esm1`	Not reported	UBUNTU-CVE-2023-38252	Not reported
Ubuntu	w3m	deb	20.04	`0.5.3-37ubuntu0.2`	Not reported	UBUNTU-CVE-2023-38252	Not reported
Ubuntu	w3m	deb	22.04	`0.5.3+git20210102-6ubuntu0.2`	Not reported	UBUNTU-CVE-2023-38252	Not reported
Ubuntu	w3m	deb	24.04	`0.5.3+git20230121-2ubuntu1`	Not reported	UBUNTU-CVE-2023-38252	Not reported

OpenFactory catalog packages

[Debian 12 (Bookworm)]

[w3m]Affected
Details (2)
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2 · amd64 · bookworm
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · bookworm; dsa · w3m · debian · 12
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2 · arm64 · bookworm
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · bookworm; dsa · w3m · debian · 12
[w3m-img]Affected
Source package: [w3m]
Details (2)
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2 · amd64 · bookworm
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · bookworm; dsa · w3m · debian · 12
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2 · arm64 · bookworm
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · bookworm; dsa · w3m · debian · 12

[Debian 13 (Trixie)]

[w3m]Affected
Details (2)
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2.1 · amd64 · trixie
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · 13
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2.1 · arm64 · trixie
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · 13
[w3m-img]Affected
Source package: [w3m]
Details (2)
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2.1 · amd64 · trixie
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · 13
- 0.5.3+git20230121-2.1 · arm64 · trixie
  Affected
  dsa · w3m · debian · 13

[openSUSE Tumbleweed]

[w3m-inline-image]Unknown
Source package: [w3m]
Details (1)
- 0.5.6-1.4 · x86_64 · tumbleweed
  Unknown · Fixed: 0.5.3+git20230121-2.1
  Version impact unknown
  dsa · w3m · opensuse · tumbleweed
[w3m]Fixed
Source package: [w3m]
Details (1)
- 0.5.6-1.4 · x86_64 · tumbleweed
  Fixed · Fixed: 0.5.3+git20230121-2.1
  dsa · w3m · opensuse · tumbleweed

Observed: Oct 28, 2026, 5:45:08 PM UTC

References

[CERT-Bund public advisories] · [Debian Security Tracker] · [FIRST EPSS] · [OSV Package Vulnerability Database] · [Red Hat security advisories and VEX] · [SUSE security advisories and VEX]