# CVE-2023-46048: Null dereference in n/a

> A NULL pointer dereference in TeX Live's writet1.c can cause a denial of service, though it is disputed as a usability issue.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 4 Nov 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2023-46048, ECHO-0491-17c2-e2eb, GHSA-j569-gjjp-9rhp, OESA-2024-1997, OESA-2024-1998, OESA-2024-1999, OESA-2024-2001, SUSE-SU-2024:1296-1

## What is CVE-2023-46048?

CVE-2023-46048 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Tex Live 944e257 has a NULL pointer dereference in texk/web2c/pdftexdir/writet1.c. NOTE: this is disputed because it should be categorized as a usability problem.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-46048?


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `texlive` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 | All versions | 2013.20130620-22.11.1 |
| `texlive` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP5 | All versions | 2013.20130620-22.11.1 |
| `texlive` | SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP5 | All versions | 2013.20130620-22.11.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2023-46048?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-46048 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-46048 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-46048 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-46048 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 27 Mar 2024. 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-2023-46048 exists.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2023-46048/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46048/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46048
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46048
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-46048

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46048/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.