CVE-2026-63729

TeX Live SyncTeX Parser Heap Use-After-Free via Malformed SyncTeX File

Published Jul 21, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 6.8 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
The SyncTeX parser (synctex_parser.c) shipped with TeX Live and embedded by downstream consumers such as GNOME Evince contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability that allows attackers to crash applications or potentially execute arbitrary code by supplying a malformed .synctex or .synctex.gz file. A malformed SyncTeX file can construct a ref node with a NULL parent pointer, causing the replacement routine to fail to detach the node from its sibling chain, which triggers recursive freeing of live tree nodes and leaves dangling pointers that are later accessed by the parser during document load.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Tug
Tug tex Live
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:tug:tex_live:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Tug
Tug tex Live
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Tex Live
Tex Live tex Live
Vendors & Products Tex Live
Tex Live tex Live
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description The SyncTeX parser (synctex_parser.c) shipped with TeX Live and embedded by downstream consumers such as GNOME Evince contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability that allows attackers to crash applications or potentially execute arbitrary code by supplying a malformed .synctex or .synctex.gz file. A malformed SyncTeX file can construct a ref node with a NULL parent pointer, causing the replacement routine to fail to detach the node from its sibling chain, which triggers recursive freeing of live tree nodes and leaves dangling pointers that are later accessed by the parser during document load.
Title TeX Live SyncTeX Parser Heap Use-After-Free via Malformed SyncTeX File
Weaknesses CWE-416
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.6, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 6.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
VulnCheck
Published
Updated
Sep 24, 2026, 2:18 PM
Reserved
Jul 17, 2026, 9:21 PM
Status
Deferred
Published
Jul 21, 2026, 3:16 AM
Modified
Jul 23, 2026, 3:24 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Jul 21, 2026, 1:35 AM