CVE-2015-2790 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE
Foxit Reader, Enterprise Reader, and PhantomPDF before 7.1 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and crash) via a crafted (1) Ubyte Size in a DataSubBlock structure or (2) LZWMinimumCodeSize in a GIF image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2790 affects multiple Foxit products including Foxit Reader, Enterprise Reader, and PhantomPDF versions prior to 7.1. This issue represents a critical memory corruption flaw that can be exploited remotely by attackers to trigger denial of service conditions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the parsing mechanisms of these PDF and image processing libraries, specifically when handling malformed data structures in PDF documents and GIF image files.
The technical flaw manifests through two distinct attack vectors that exploit different data structures within the affected applications. The first vector involves manipulation of the Ubyte Size parameter within a DataSubBlock structure, while the second targets the LZWMinimumCodeSize field in GIF image processing. Both scenarios demonstrate insufficient bounds checking and memory management practices that allow attackers to craft malicious payloads that cause buffer overflows or memory corruption during the parsing process. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read errors that can lead to memory corruption.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on these PDF reading applications. Attackers can remotely execute denial of service attacks by simply opening maliciously crafted PDF documents or GIF images, potentially causing application crashes and system instability. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as these applications are commonly used in enterprise environments where reliability and continuous operation are critical. The remote nature of the attack means that victims need not be technically sophisticated to be affected, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios.
The exploitation of this vulnerability follows patterns consistent with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which describes denial of service via resource exhaustion or corruption. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including prompt patching of affected versions to 7.1 or later, deployment of network segmentation to limit exposure, and implementation of email filtering to prevent delivery of malicious PDF attachments. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify other potential vulnerabilities in similar PDF processing libraries and applications. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust input validation and memory safety practices in software development, particularly for applications handling untrusted data from external sources.