PDF /GoToR action argv injection enables single-click RCE via --gtk-module dlopen

Summary

CVE	CVE-2026-46529
State	PUBLISHED
Assigner	GitHub_M
Source Priority	CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published	2026-06-10 20:17:28 UTC
Updated	2026-06-10 20:58:26 UTC
Description	Atril Document Viewer is the default document reader of the MATE desktop environment for Linux. A single-click remote code execution vulnerability in versions prior to 1.26.3 and 1.28.4 allows an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution as the user by tricking them into clicking a link inside a malicious PDF document. The PDF can be packaged as a polyglot file that is simultaneously a valid PDF and a valid ELF shared library, making the attack a single-file, single-click, configuration-independent RCE on stock atril installations. The root cause is `shell/ev-application.c:ev_spawn`, which builds a command line from attacker-controlled PDF link-destination fields without applying `g_shell_quote`. The cmdline is then handed to `g_app_info_create_from_commandline`, which shell-parses it back into argv — splitting any embedded `--gtk-module=PATH` into a separate argv element. GTK then `dlopen()`s the path during init, running any `__attribute__((constructor))` it finds. Versions 1.26.3 and 1.28.4 contain a patch for the issue. This is the same defect class as CVE-2023-51698 (CBT `--checkpoint-action` injection in `comics-document.c`, fixed in 1.6.2) but in a different code path (`shell/ev-application.c`) that the original patch did not touch.

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v4.0 8.4 HIGH from [email protected]

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

Problem Types: CWE-77 | CWE-88 | CWE-829 | CWE-77 CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection') | CWE-88 CWE-88: Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection') | CWE-829 CWE-829: Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere

Version	Source	Type	Score	Severity	Vector
4.0	[email protected]	Secondary	8.4	HIGH	`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/C...`
4.0	CNA	DECLARED	8.4	HIGH	`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`

CVSS v4.0 Breakdown

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Requirements

None

Privileges Required

None

User Interaction

Active

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Sub Conf.

None

Sub Integrity

None

Sub Availability

None

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

Vendor Declared Affected Products

Source	Vendor	Product	Version	Platforms
CNA	Mate-desktop	Atril	affected < 1.26.3	Not specified
CNA	Mate-desktop	Atril	affected >= 1.27.0, < 1.28.4	Not specified

References

Reference	Source	Link	Tags
github.com/mate-desktop/atril/releases/tag/v1.26.3	[email protected]	github.com
www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/22/11	af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108	www.openwall.com
www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/19/34	af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108	www.openwall.com
github.com/mate-desktop/atril/security/advisories/GHSA-vgv2-m826-8f6f	[email protected]	github.com
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/05/msg00041.html	af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108	lists.debian.org
github.com/mate-desktop/atril/releases/tag/v1.28.4	[email protected]	github.com
www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/21/7	af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108	www.openwall.com
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2026/05/msg00042.html	af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108	lists.debian.org
CVE Program record	CVE.ORG	www.cve.org	canonical
NVD vulnerability detail	NVD	nvd.nist.gov	canonical, analysis

No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.

There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.