CVE-2014-7901 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in the opj_t2_read_packet_data function in fxcodec/fx_libopenjpeg/libopenjpeg20/t2.c in OpenJPEG in PDFium, as used in Google Chrome before 39.0.2171.65, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a long segment in a JPEG image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2014-7901 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the OpenJPEG library implementation in PDFium, which serves as the core rendering engine for PDF documents in Google Chrome. This issue specifically affects the opj_t2_read_packet_data function located in the fxcodec/fx_libopenjpeg/libopenjpeg20/t2.c file, where improper handling of integer values during JPEG image processing creates a potential attack vector for remote adversaries. The flaw manifests when processing JPEG images containing excessively long segments, enabling attackers to manipulate the integer arithmetic operations that govern data packet reading processes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from the lack of proper bounds checking in the integer arithmetic operations within the JPEG2000 decoding pipeline. When the function processes a malformed JPEG image segment, it performs calculations that can exceed the maximum representable value for the integer data type, causing an overflow condition. This overflow can result in unpredictable behavior within the memory management system of the PDFium rendering engine, potentially leading to memory corruption or invalid memory access patterns that disrupt normal application operation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to web browser security as it allows remote attackers to trigger denial of service conditions through carefully crafted malicious JPEG images embedded in PDF documents. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as the integer overflow could potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or cause information disclosure, depending on the specific memory corruption patterns that occur during exploitation. The vulnerability affects Google Chrome versions prior to 39.0.2171.65, representing a substantial attack surface given Chrome's widespread usage in enterprise and consumer environments.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2014-7901 involves immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to incorporate proper integer overflow protections within the OpenJPEG library implementation. Security updates should include bounds checking mechanisms to prevent arithmetic overflow conditions in the packet data reading functions, along with enhanced input validation for JPEG image segments. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems that can identify and block suspicious PDF documents containing malformed JPEG data. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and represents a typical example of how library-level vulnerabilities can cascade into browser-level security incidents, as documented in various ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and code execution through memory corruption exploits.