CVE-2024-37795

What it actually does

Crafted SMT-LIB input containing malformed set-logic commands triggers a segmentation fault in CVC5 Solver v1.1.3, causing immediate process termination and denial of service.

Why it matters to the business

Applications or services relying on the solver for automated reasoning or verification tasks become unavailable until restarted, disrupting dependent workflows and potentially halting automated analysis pipelines across Linux environments.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker crafts a malicious SMT-LIB file that exploits formatting errors in the set-logic command, supplies the file to any exposed CVC5 instance, and triggers the segmentation fault resulting in a crash without requiring authentication or user interaction.

How to fix it

Upgrade CVC5 to a fixed version on affected platforms: Debian 11/12/13 use 5.10.92-1 or 5.15.15-1 packages; Ubuntu 20.04 LTS variants use 5.4.0-9.12, 5.4.0-1005.5, 5.15.0-1014.18~20.04.1, 5.4.0-1006.6, 5.15.0-1007.8~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1019.24~20.04.1.1 or 5.4.0-1007.10 as listed for each package.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the installed CVC5 package version matches or exceeds the listed fixed versions for the distribution; re-test with known-malformed set-logic input to verify absence of segmentation fault.

Typical attack path

1. Identify an exposed or reachable CVC5 Solver instance accepting SMT-LIB input
2. Generate or obtain a crafted input file with specific set-logic formatting errors
3. Submit the malicious file via file upload, command-line argument, or API call
4. Trigger the segmentation fault causing immediate process crash and service denial

How to detect it

Review application and system logs for unexpected CVC5 process terminations or segmentation fault signals around the time of SMT-LIB file processing; correlate with file access or command execution events involving untrusted inputs.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize upgrade of CVC5 packages on all Debian 11/12/13 and Ubuntu 20.04 LTS systems within the next maintenance window
• Restrict untrusted SMT-LIB input sources until patches are applied
• Monitor for process crashes in solver-dependent services and implement restart policies
• Review downstream dependents for exposure given ecosystem prevalence of the solver