CVE-2011-4219 in SlimPDF Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Investintech.com SlimPDF Reader does not prevent faulting-address data from affecting branch selection, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted PDF document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4219 affects Investintech.com SlimPDF Reader, a document processing application designed for handling pdf files. This flaw represents a classic control flow hijacking vulnerability that exploits improper handling of memory addresses during conditional branch operations. The vulnerability specifically resides in how the application processes faulting-address data within branch selection mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious input to manipulate program execution flow.
This issue manifests as a lack of proper input validation and memory safety controls within the pdf parsing engine. When processing malformed pdf documents, the application fails to properly sanitize or validate the address data used in conditional branching operations, leading to potential unauthorized code execution or system instability. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of memory corruption and control flow manipulation, where attacker-controlled data can influence program decision points and potentially redirect execution to malicious code locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to include potential remote code execution capabilities. Attackers can craft specially designed pdf documents that, when opened by vulnerable SlimPDF Reader versions, trigger the flawed branch selection logic. This can result in application crashes that disrupt user productivity or, more critically, provide attackers with opportunities to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability affects systems where SlimPDF Reader is installed and actively processes pdf files from untrusted sources.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input ranges, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1203, involving exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation or code execution. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where insufficient bounds checking and address validation allow malicious data to influence program behavior. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of broader application security assessments, particularly when evaluating legacy pdf processing solutions that may lack modern security hardening measures.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of affected SlimPDF Reader versions through official vendor updates. System administrators should implement strict pdf file validation policies, including sandboxing pdf processing environments and employing automated malware scanning for pdf documents. Network-level controls such as pdf file filtering and content inspection can provide additional defense in depth. Regular security assessments of document processing applications should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other software components that may be susceptible to similar control flow hijacking attacks.