# CVE-2023-35174: Livebook Desktop's protocol handler can be exploited to execute arbitrary command on Windows

> Attackers can execute arbitrary commands on Windows machines by tricking users into opening a malicious Livebook protocol link.

- **Severity:** High 8.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Jun 2023
- **Updated:** 6 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-564w-97r7-c6p9

## What is CVE-2023-35174?

CVE-2023-35174 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in livebook-dev livebook, published on 22 Jun 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Livebook is a web application for writing interactive and collaborative code notebooks. On Windows, it is possible to open a `livebook://` link from a browser which opens Livebook Desktop and triggers arbitrary code execution on victim's machine. Any user using Livebook Desktop on Windows is potentially vulnerable to arbitrary code execution when they expect Livebook to be opened from browser. This vulnerability has been fixed in version 0.8.2 and 0.9.3.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-35174?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including livebook. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `livebook` | Hex | From 0.8.0 | 0.8.2 |
| `livebook` | Hex | From 0.8.0 | 0.8.2 |
| `livebook` | Hex | From 0.9.0 | 0.9.3 |
| `livebook` | Hex | From 0.9.0 | 0.9.3 |

Products: Livebook Livebook.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-35174?

Upgrade livebook to a fixed version for your release line: 0.8.2 or 0.9.3.

## Is CVE-2023-35174 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-35174 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in livebook-dev livebook

- [CVE-2026-66298](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66298/): JS-view sandboxed output can synthesize keyboard events to trigger unconfirmed global shortcuts (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2026-68746](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68746/): Livebook Teams identity check fails open when the deployment group is unresolvable, allowing unauthenticated access (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2026-66881](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66881/): Path traversal in imported file_entries name allows arbitrary file write via URL-type entry download (high 7.0)
- [CVE-2026-66885](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66885/): Livebook Teams identity callback lacks state binding, allowing login CSRF (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2026-66297](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66297/): Unescaped deployment environment variables in generated setup commands (medium 5.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-35174 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-35174 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in livebook-dev livebook, published on 22 Jun 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-35174 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- livebook (Hex): affected from 0.8.0; fixed in 0.8.2
- livebook (Hex): affected from 0.8.0; fixed in 0.8.2
- livebook (Hex): affected from 0.9.0; fixed in 0.9.3
- livebook (Hex): affected from 0.9.0; fixed in 0.9.3

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-2023-35174/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35174/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-35174
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-35174
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-35174

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35174/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.