# CVE-2023-37457: Asterisk's PJSIP_HEADER dialplan function can overwrite memory/cause crash when using 'update'

> A buffer overflow in Asterisk's PJSIP_HEADER update function allows memory corruption or crashes if dialplans process external data.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 13 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2023-37457, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-37457, GHSA-98rc-4j27-74hh, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-37457

## What is CVE-2023-37457?

CVE-2023-37457 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Digium Asterisk, published on 14 Dec 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Asterisk is an open source private branch exchange and telephony toolkit. In Asterisk versions 18.20.0 and prior, 20.5.0 and prior, and 21.0.0; as well as ceritifed-asterisk 18.9-cert5 and prior, the 'update' functionality of the PJSIP_HEADER dialplan function can exceed the available buffer space for storing the new value of a header. By doing so this can overwrite memory or cause a crash. This is not externally exploitable, unless dialplan is explicitly written to update a header based on data from an outside source. If the 'update' functionality is not used the vulnerability does not occur. A patch is available at commit a1ca0268254374b515fa5992f01340f7717113fa.

Weakness: CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-37457?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Digium Asterisk, Sangoma Certified Asterisk.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-37457?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-37457 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-37457 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Digium Asterisk

- [CVE-2017-14100](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14100/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-8418](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-8418/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2011-1599](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1599/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2017-16671](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16671/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-7617](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7617/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-37457 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-37457 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Digium Asterisk, published on 14 Dec 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-2023-37457 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Digium Asterisk. 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-2023-37457/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37457/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-37457
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37457
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-37457

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37457/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.