CVE-2013-1788 in Poppler
Summary
by MITRE
poppler before 0.22.1 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via vectors that trigger an "invalid memory access" in (1) splash/Splash.cc, (2) poppler/Function.cc, and (3) poppler/Stream.cc.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1788 represents a critical memory safety issue affecting the poppler PDF rendering library version 0.22.0 and earlier. This flaw manifests as an invalid memory access condition that can be exploited by context-dependent attackers to achieve either denial of service through system crashes or potentially arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability impacts multiple components within the poppler codebase including splash/Splash.cc, poppler/Function.cc, and poppler/Stream.cc, indicating a systemic memory management weakness that spans across different functional modules of the PDF processing engine.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory handling within the PDF parsing routines. When processing specially crafted PDF files, the poppler library fails to properly validate memory access patterns, leading to buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption scenarios. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate program execution and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage. The memory access violations occur during normal PDF document processing operations, making exploitation relatively straightforward for attackers who can craft malicious PDF content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes to potentially enable remote code execution, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users regularly process untrusted PDF documents. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability in phishing campaigns, malware distribution, or web application exploitation scenarios where PDF files are commonly encountered. The vulnerability affects web browsers, PDF viewers, and any software components that rely on poppler for PDF rendering functionality. Organizations using affected versions of poppler in their applications face significant risk of service disruption and potential system compromise, particularly in environments where automated PDF processing occurs without proper sandboxing or input validation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-1788 primarily involve immediate upgrade to poppler version 0.22.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory access violations. System administrators should also implement additional defensive measures including PDF file validation, sandboxing of PDF processing components, and network-level filtering to prevent potentially malicious PDF content from reaching end-user systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation in preventing memory corruption exploits. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems utilizing affected poppler versions and implement remediation procedures to ensure complete protection against this and similar memory safety issues.