# CVE-2023-3297: Use after free in AccountService

> An unprivileged local attacker can trigger a use-after-free in accountsservice via D-Bus, potentially leading to code execution or privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 30 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** AZL-43453, AZL-44259, CLSA-2026-1787732137, GHSA-gr7p-26mx-9pgw, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-3297, USN-6190-1, USN-6190-2

## What is CVE-2023-3297?

CVE-2023-3297 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 1 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Ubuntu's accountsservice an unprivileged local attacker can trigger a use-after-free vulnerability in accountsservice by sending a D-Bus message to the accounts-daemon process.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-3297?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Canonical Accountsservice, Canonical Ubuntu Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-3297?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-3297 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-3297 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2021-3939](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3939/): Free of static data in accountsservice (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-1804](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1804/): Accountsservice incorrectly drops privileges (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2011-4406](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4406/): Privilege escalation in n/a (low 3.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-3297 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-3297 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 1 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-3297 exists.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3297/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3297/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3297
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3297
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-3297

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3297/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.