CVE-2023-28631
CWE-755Published: March 28, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
comrak is a CommonMark + GFM compatible Markdown parser and renderer written in rust. A Comrak AST can be constructed manually by a program instead of parsing a Markdown document with `parse_document`. This AST can then be converted to HTML via `html::format_document_with_plugins`. However, the HTML formatting code assumes that the AST is well-formed. For example, many AST notes contain `[u8]` fields which the formatting code assumes is valid UTF-8 data. Several bugs can be triggered if this is not the case. Version 0.17.0 contains adjustments to the AST, storing strings instead of unvalidated byte arrays. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade may manually validate UTF-8 correctness of all data when assigning to `&[u8]` and `Vec<u8>` fields in the AST. This issue is also tracked as `GHSL-2023-049`.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2023-28631 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (10)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-755)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2023-28631 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts