CVE-2010-4654 in Poppler
Summary
by MITRE
poppler before 0.16.3 has malformed commands that may cause corruption of the internal stack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4654 affects the poppler PDF rendering library version 0.16.3 and earlier, representing a critical stack corruption issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed PDF commands within the library's parser, specifically targeting the internal stack management mechanisms used during PDF document processing. The flaw exists in how poppler handles certain malformed command sequences that can cause the internal stack to become corrupted, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior and system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of PDF command structures that are processed by poppler's internal parser. When encountering malformed commands, the library fails to properly validate or sanitize the input data before attempting to manipulate its internal stack structure. This failure creates a condition where the stack can be corrupted through improper memory access patterns or stack pointer manipulation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered during normal PDF document rendering operations, making it exploitable through malicious PDF files delivered via email attachments, web downloads, or other attack vectors. The underlying cause aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation leading to memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across multiple attack surfaces where poppler is utilized for PDF processing, including web browsers, document viewers, email clients, and server applications. When exploited, the stack corruption can result in application crashes, memory corruption, or potentially full system compromise depending on the execution environment and target system configuration. Attackers can craft malicious PDF documents that trigger the vulnerable code path, causing the application to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected process. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where PDF processing is common and automated systems may be exposed to untrusted PDF content without proper sandboxing or input validation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4654 should focus on immediate patch deployment for all affected poppler versions, with particular emphasis on updating systems that process untrusted PDF content. Organizations should implement additional security controls including PDF sandboxing, content filtering, and strict input validation for PDF documents. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in PDF rendering libraries, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1203 for exploitation through malformed input. System administrators should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling PDF-related security incidents. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of vulnerable poppler versions within the organization's infrastructure.