Description
Atril Document Viewer is the default document reader of the MATE desktop environment for Linux. A path traversal and arbitrary file write vulnerability exists in versions of Atril prior to 1.26.2. This vulnerability is capable of writing arbitrary files anywhere on the filesystem to which the user opening a crafted document has access. The only limitation is that this vulnerability cannot be exploited to overwrite existing files, but that doesn't stop an attacker from achieving Remote Command Execution on the target system. Version 1.26.2 of Atril contains a patch for this vulnerability.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| mate-desktop | atril | < 1.26.2 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | atril | 1.26.2-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | atril | 1.26.2-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | atril | 1.26.0-2+deb12u3 | DSA-5688-1 |
| Debian 11 | atril | 1.24.0-1+deb11u1 | DSA-5688-1 |
| Debian 10 | atril | 1.20.3-1+deb10u2 | DLA-3828-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | atril | 1.26.0-1ubuntu1.1 | USN-6808-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | atril | 1.24.0-1ubuntu0.1 | USN-6808-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | atril | 1.20.1-2ubuntu2+esm1 | USN-6808-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | atril | 1.12.2-1ubuntu0.3+esm1 | USN-6808-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
GitHub 1 repository
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Groppoxx/CVE-2023-52076-PoC ★ 3 · Jul 27, 2026
PoC exploit for CVE-2023-52076 - zip-slip path traversal in Atril/Xreader (MATE/Cinnamon) enabling arbitrary file write and RCE via crafted EPUB. Authorized security testing only.
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 3
- USN-6808-1 atril vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Jun 25, 2026
- DSA-5688-1 atril - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-3828-1 atril - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026