CVE-2024-34490: Maxima · Insecure Temporary File
Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.1 Medium · fixed in 5.47.0 : update Maxima when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Affects
- Maxima through 5.47.0
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 5.47.0
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 5 May 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2024-34490, organizations should: 1) Update Maxima to the latest version that includes the fix after commit 51704c, ensuring that temporary file creation uses secure, unpredictable names or secure APIs such as mkstemp. 2) Restrict local access to systems running Maxima, limiting the number of users with high privileges to reduce the attack surface. 3) Implement strict file system permissions on /tmp to prevent unauthorized file creation or manipulation by unprivileged users. 4) Monitor /tmp directory for suspicious file creation patterns that may indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability. 5) Consider running Maxima in isolated environments or containers with limited access to the host file system to contain potential exploitation. 6) Educate system administrators and users about the risks of insecure temporary file handling and encourage prompt patching. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access, securing the /tmp directory, and applying the specific patch or update.
Description
In Maxima through 5.47.0 before 51704c, the plotting facilities make use of predictable names under /tmp. Thus, the contents may be controlled by a local attacker who can create files in advance with these names. This affects, for example, plot2d.