CVE-2016-8388 in Argus
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable arbitrary heap-overwrite vulnerability exists within Iceni Argus. When it attempts to convert a malformed PDF to XML, it will explicitly trust an index within the specific font object and use it to write the font's name to a single object within an array of objects.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8388 represents a critical heap-overwrite flaw within Iceni Argus software that specifically manifests during PDF to XML conversion processes. This vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management practices within the font handling component of the application. The flaw occurs when the software processes malformed PDF files that contain specially crafted font objects designed to exploit the conversion mechanism.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a direct heap memory overwrite condition where the application explicitly trusts and uses an unvalidated index value from a font object structure. This trust relationship allows the software to write font name data to a predetermined memory location within an array of objects without proper bounds checking or validation. The flaw operates at the intersection of buffer management and memory corruption, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate heap memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security risks to organizations relying on Iceni Argus for document conversion services. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when processed by the vulnerable software, trigger the heap overwrite condition. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios as the memory corruption can potentially lead to remote code execution, allowing adversaries to gain unauthorized control over systems running the affected software. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction since it can be triggered through automated processing of malicious documents.
The underlying cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The attack surface is consistent with ATT&CK technique T1203, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to execute malicious code through input manipulation. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate memory management controls that are commonly exploited in document processing applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8388 should prioritize immediate software updates from Iceni to address the heap management issues within the font processing component. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to systems running vulnerable versions of Argus and deploy input validation controls to filter potentially malicious PDF files before processing. Additionally, regular security assessments of document conversion workflows should be conducted to identify similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in other third-party applications. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patched version properly validates font object indices and implements appropriate bounds checking mechanisms to prevent unauthorized heap memory modifications.