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.
Published: 2026-06-10
Score: 8.4 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

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Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4596-1 evince security update
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4597-1 atril security update
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4632-1 atril security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6286-1 evince security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6349-1 atril security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8295-1 Evince vulnerability
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8321-1 Papers vulnerability
History

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important


Wed, 10 Jun 2026 22:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Mate-desktop
Mate-desktop atril
Vendors & Products Mate-desktop
Mate-desktop atril

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:30:00 +0000


Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
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.
Title PDF /GoToR action argv injection enables single-click RCE via --gtk-module dlopen
Weaknesses CWE-77
CWE-829
CWE-88
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 8.4, 'vector': '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'}


Subscriptions

Mate-desktop Atril
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: GitHub_M

Published:

Updated: 2026-06-16T22:38:17.493Z

Reserved: 2026-05-14T19:12:32.756Z

Link: CVE-2026-46529

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-06-16T22:38:17.493Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Deferred

Published: 2026-06-10T20:17:28.570

Modified: 2026-06-12T14:16:31.733

Link: CVE-2026-46529

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2026-06-10T19:46:23Z

Links: CVE-2026-46529 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-06-10T22:30:22Z

Weaknesses