CVE-2023-26779 in yf-exam v
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2023
CleverStupidDog yf-exam v 1.8.0 is vulnerable to Deserialization which can lead to remote code execution (RCE).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2025
The CleverStupidDog yf-exam application version 1.8.0 contains a critical deserialization vulnerability that presents a significant security risk to affected systems. This vulnerability falls under the category of insecure deserialization flaws that have been consistently identified as high-risk threats in cybersecurity assessments. The flaw exists within the application's handling of serialized data structures, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code remotely without requiring authentication or privileged access. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited from external networks and often bypass traditional security controls that rely on perimeter defenses.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize serialized input data before processing. When the yf-exam application receives serialized objects through its communication channels, it does not perform adequate checks to ensure the integrity and safety of the data being deserialized. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious serialized objects that, when processed by the vulnerable application, trigger unintended code execution. The deserialization process typically involves converting serialized data back into objects that can be manipulated by the application, but in this case, the process lacks sufficient safeguards to prevent malicious payloads from executing within the application's runtime environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise to encompass complete system takeover capabilities. Remote code execution vulnerabilities of this nature can enable attackers to install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, modify application behavior, or use the compromised system as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects the application's core functionality and can potentially lead to data breaches, service disruption, and unauthorized access to underlying system resources. Organizations running this specific version of yf-exam are particularly vulnerable because the flaw exists in the application's fundamental data handling mechanisms, making it difficult to mitigate through network-level controls alone.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a direct descendant of common CWE categories including CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data and CWE-134 Use of Externally-Controlled Format String, which are frequently referenced in industry security frameworks and assessment methodologies. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques such as T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1133 External Remote Services, which describe how attackers can leverage deserialization flaws to establish persistent access and execute commands on target systems. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of the application, implementing network segmentation to limit access to affected systems, and deploying application whitelisting controls to prevent execution of unauthorized code. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous deserialization activities and unusual command execution patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.