TeX Live SyncTeX Parser Heap Use-After-Free via Malformed SyncTeX File
The SyncTeX parser (synctex_parser.c) shipped with TeX Live and embedded by downstream consumers such as GNOME Evince contains a heap use-after-free vulnerability that allows attackers to crash applications or potentially execute arbitrary code by supplying a malformed .synctex or .synctex.gz file. A malformed SyncTeX file can construct a ref node with a NULL parent pointer, causing the replacement routine to fail to detach the node from its sibling chain, which triggers recursive freeing of live tree nodes and leaves dangling pointers that are later accessed by the parser during document load.
CVE-2026-63729
Primary source · Revision 1
Imported from structured advisory data. Source references identify upstream records or fields; verify affected versions and your deployed configuration.
Security context
Source reference: cve:CVE-2026-63729
TeX Live
Source reference: /containers/cna/affected/0/product
- Affected versions
- Not stated in this record
- Fixed versions
- Not stated in this record
- Prerequisites
- Not stated in this record
Structured affected-version data
Original package identities and version rules from this source.
[
{
"vendor": "TeX Live",
"product": "TeX Live",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "custom",
"lessThanOrEqual": "TeX Live 2025"
},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "TeX Live 2026",
"versionType": "custom"
}
],
"defaultStatus": "affected"
}
]- Related CVEs
- CVE-2026-63729
Source reference:
/cveMetadata/cveId
Publisher severity
medium
Source reference: /containers/cna/metrics
- Event
- #900 · Revision 1
- Added to Heist Feed
- Publisher date