CVE-2017-12824 in InPage
Summary
by MITRE
Special crafted InPage document leads to arbitrary code execution in InPage reader.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12824 represents a critical security flaw within the InPage document reader software that enables attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution through the careful crafting of malicious InPage documents. This vulnerability specifically targets the document parsing and rendering mechanisms of the InPage reader application, which is commonly used for processing Urdu and other languages that require complex text rendering capabilities. The flaw exists in how the application handles specially constructed InPage files that contain malformed or malicious content designed to exploit memory corruption issues during document processing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the InPage reader's document parser. When a user opens a specially crafted InPage document, the application fails to properly sanitize the document structure and content before processing, leading to buffer overflow conditions or other memory corruption scenarios. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which addresses heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities. The exploitation occurs during the document rendering phase where the application attempts to interpret and display complex text formatting elements that have been manipulated to trigger unintended execution paths within the memory space of the running process.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations and individuals who rely on InPage reader for document processing, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted documents from external sources. The arbitrary code execution capability allows attackers to gain complete control over the affected system, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or further lateral movement within a network. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through social engineering techniques where users are tricked into opening seemingly legitimate documents that contain hidden malicious payloads. The attack vector follows typical patterns associated with the ATT&CK framework under the technique T1203, which involves exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain access to systems.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially affect entire organizational networks, especially in regions where InPage reader is widely adopted for business and government document processing. Organizations using this software without proper patch management or security controls face elevated risk of targeted attacks, particularly in sectors handling sensitive information such as healthcare, finance, or government communications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and secure coding practices in document processing applications, as well as the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches for specialized software tools. Security professionals should implement network monitoring to detect unusual document processing activities and ensure that all users are educated about the risks of opening untrusted documents from unknown sources. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of unauthorized document processing applications and maintain comprehensive backup and recovery procedures to mitigate potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.