GNU Aspell contains an out-of-bounds read vulnerability in ReadOnlyDict::load() in readonly_ws.cpp. When loading a binary .rws dictionary file, it uses offset fields from the file header as byte indices into a heap buffer without validating their bounds. An attacker can trigger this by convincing a user to run aspell with a crafted dictionary file supplied through --master, --dict-dir, or configuration options, leading to heap memory disclosure or a denial of service via application crash.
This issue was fixed in commit 941953b25031bc9104e83f58e138a664b8dedc3f which will be released in version 0.60.8.3.
Attack Parameters
Attack Vector
Local
Requires local access
Attack Complexity
High
Difficult to exploit
Attack Requirements
None
No additional conditions
Privileges Required
None
No privileges needed
User Interaction
Active
User action required
Impact Assessment
Confidentiality
None
No data leak
Integrity
None
No data modification
Availability
Low
Partial disruption
CVSS Vector v4.0
Weakness Type (CWE)
Vulnerable Products
gnu:aspell