CVE-2026-33046
LaTeX Injection in Indico Allows Local File Read and Code Execution
Publication date: 2026-03-23
Last updated on: 2026-03-24
Assigner: GitHub, Inc.
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| cern | indico | to 3.3.12 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-78 | The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component. |
| CWE-22 | The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
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How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
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Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability affects Indico, an event management system that uses Flask-Multipass for authentication. In versions prior to 3.3.12, due to vulnerabilities in TeXLive and obscure LaTeX syntax, it is possible to bypass Indico's LaTeX sanitizer. This allows an attacker to use specially-crafted LaTeX snippets to read local files or execute code with the same privileges as the user running Indico on the server.
The vulnerability only applies if server-side LaTeX rendering is enabled (i.e., if the XELATEX_PATH setting is configured in indico.conf). If this setting is not enabled, the vulnerability does not apply.
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to update Indico to version 3.3.12 or later, enable the containerized LaTeX renderer to isolate LaTeX processing, or disable LaTeX functionality by removing or commenting out the XELATEX_PATH setting and restarting relevant services.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can have serious impacts because it allows an attacker to read local files or execute arbitrary code on the server with the privileges of the Indico user. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, data leakage, or full compromise of the server hosting Indico.
If exploited, it could result in loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system and its data.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to update Indico to version 3.3.12 as soon as possible.
It is strongly recommended to enable the containerized LaTeX renderer using podman, which isolates the LaTeX rendering process from the rest of the system.
As a workaround, you can remove the XELATEX_PATH setting from the indico.conf file (or comment it out or set it to None) and then restart the indico-uwsgi and indico-celery services to disable LaTeX functionality.