CVE-2010-2541 in FreeType
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in ftmulti.c in the ftmulti demo program in FreeType before 2.4.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted font file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2541 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the FreeType font rendering library's ftmulti demo program. This issue affects FreeType versions prior to 2.4.2 and demonstrates how font processing routines can become attack vectors for remote code execution or denial of service conditions. The vulnerability specifically resides in the ftmulti.c source file, which is part of the FreeType demo suite designed to handle multi-font operations. When processing specially crafted font files, the application fails to properly validate input data lengths, leading to memory corruption that can result in unpredictable behavior.
The technical implementation of this buffer overflow stems from inadequate bounds checking during font file parsing operations. The ftmulti demo program processes multiple font files simultaneously and employs insufficient input validation mechanisms when handling font metadata and glyph data structures. Attackers can construct malicious font files containing oversized data fields or malformed structures that exceed the allocated buffer boundaries. This flaw maps directly to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient boundary checks allow attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability's exploitation potential extends beyond simple denial of service to include arbitrary code execution, making it particularly dangerous in environments where font rendering occurs automatically.
Operational impact assessment reveals this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process untrusted font content, including web browsers, document viewers, and graphic applications that rely on FreeType for font rendering. The attack surface expands considerably when considering that many applications automatically download and render fonts from external sources without proper sanitization. System administrators and security teams must recognize that this vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email attachments, web content, and file downloads from untrusted sources. The potential for remote code execution means that attackers could gain unauthorized access to systems running vulnerable FreeType implementations, making this a critical concern for enterprise security infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2541 require immediate patching of FreeType libraries to version 2.4.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for buffer overflow protection. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation controls for all font processing operations and consider deploying application whitelisting solutions that restrict font file handling to trusted sources. Network-based defenses should include content filtering mechanisms that scan font files for suspicious patterns and malformed structures. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual font processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1068, which describes "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" through software vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that address font rendering libraries as part of broader security controls. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for font rendering operations to contain potential exploitation attempts and reduce the attack surface for similar vulnerabilities.