CVE-2017-14304 in STDU Viewer
Summary
by MITRE
STDU Viewer 1.6.375 allows attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted .jb2 file, related to a "Read Access Violation starting at STDUJBIG2File!DllGetClassObject+0x00000000000043e0."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14304 affects STDU Viewer version 1.6.375, a document viewing application that processes various file formats including the JB2 format used for bi-level image compression. This weakness represents a critical memory corruption issue that manifests when the application attempts to process maliciously crafted .jb2 files. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the STDUJBIG2File.dll component, specifically during the DllGetClassObject function execution where a read access violation occurs at offset 0x43e0. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with a buffer over-read or memory access violation that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or special privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of JB2 file structures that trigger improper memory handling within the viewer's rendering engine. When the application loads a specially crafted .jb2 file, the STDUJBIG2File.dll module fails to properly validate the file headers and data structures, leading to a situation where memory access occurs beyond allocated boundaries. This memory access violation typically results in application crash or termination, effectively causing a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate users from accessing documents. However, the vulnerability description indicates potential for unspecified other impacts, suggesting that under certain conditions, the memory corruption could potentially be leveraged for more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on STDU Viewer for document management and processing. The denial of service aspect directly impacts productivity and workflow continuity, as users cannot access critical documents until the application is restarted or the problematic files are removed. The potential for unspecified impacts raises concerns about the possibility of remote code execution, which would allow attackers to compromise systems running vulnerable versions of the software. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and may also relate to CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no user interaction beyond opening a malicious file, making it susceptible to automated exploitation through email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the urgent deployment of vendor patches or updates to STDU Viewer to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also consider implementing file type restrictions and content filtering mechanisms to prevent the processing of untrusted JB2 files. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can help limit the potential impact of exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual application behavior or crash patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in document processing applications, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate program execution and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage in exploitation scenarios. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar memory corruption issues in other document processing tools and applications within the organization's infrastructure.