Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This CVE describes a crash and memory-corruption bug in gnuplot 5.2.rc1 when it opens a specially crafted file. The main business risk is disruption to systems or users that process untrusted plotting files. The sources do not show active exploitation or a confirmed broad product impact.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted hygiene issue, not an emergency, unless gnuplot processes untrusted files in production. Prioritize removing 5.2.rc1 and isolating file-rendering workflows where external input is accepted.
Technical view
The issue is an uninitialized stack variable in load_tic_series() in set.c in gnuplot 5.2.rc1. A crafted file can trigger segmentation fault and memory corruption, with unspecified possible other impact. No CVSS, CWE, patch detail, or supported affected-version range is provided in the bundle.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to environments running gnuplot 5.2.rc1 or workflows that parse untrusted gnuplot files. The source bundle does not identify downstream packages, supported releases, or operating-system distributions as affected.
Exploitation context
The bundle says exploitation requires a victim opening a specially crafted file. KEV is false, and the provided sources do not state active exploitation in the wild. No exploit maturity or public weaponization evidence is included.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse: the CVE names one release candidate and one upstream bug reference, but provides no CVSS, CWE, fixed version, or detailed affected range. Validate against upstream and distribution advisories before declaring broader exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Check vendor or distribution guidance for fixed gnuplot packages.
- Move off gnuplot 5.2.rc1 if present in any environment.
- Avoid opening untrusted gnuplot files in user workstations or automation.
- Run plotting workflows handling external files in isolated, low-privilege environments.
- Monitor package-manager advisories for distro-specific backports or fixes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory systems and containers for gnuplot version 5.2.rc1.
- Identify workflows that open user-supplied or externally sourced plot files.
- Review file-ingestion paths for isolation and least-privilege controls.
- Confirm current package versions against vendor or distribution advisories.
- Record whether gnuplot is reachable through automated rendering pipelines.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2017-9670 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://sourceforge.net/p/gnuplot/bugs/1933/CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.