CVE-2017-14310 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!DllUnregisterServer+0x0000000000001869."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14310 affects STDU Viewer version 1.6.375, a document viewing application that processes various file formats including the JBIG2 standard. This particular flaw represents a critical memory corruption issue that manifests through improper handling of maliciously crafted .jb2 files. The vulnerability occurs within the STDUJBIG2File module where a read access violation is triggered during the DllUnregisterServer function execution, specifically at offset 0x0000000000001869. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the JBIG2 file processing component, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the realm of memory safety issues, specifically characterized by a read access violation that indicates improper memory access patterns during the DLL unregistration process. This type of flaw typically arises when applications fail to properly validate or sanitize input data before processing it, leading to buffer over-read conditions or invalid memory references. The JBIG2 file format, while standardized for image compression, can contain complex structures that when improperly parsed can trigger memory corruption. The specific location of the error within DllUnregisterServer suggests that the vulnerability may be triggered during the application's cleanup or shutdown phase when it attempts to unregister COM components, making it particularly dangerous as it could be exploited even during normal application operation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially encompass arbitrary code execution or system instability. When an attacker successfully exploits this read access violation, they can cause the application to crash or behave unpredictably, leading to denial of service conditions that prevent legitimate users from accessing documents. However, the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description suggest that more severe consequences are possible, including potential privilege escalation or remote code execution depending on the execution context. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and integrity of the affected system, as users cannot reliably process JBIG2 files without risking system compromise. The flaw demonstrates a critical weakness in the application's defensive programming practices, particularly concerning input sanitization and memory management during component lifecycle operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14310 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected STDU Viewer application to the latest version that addresses this memory corruption issue. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious file types, particularly when dealing with untrusted sources. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and potentially CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities, though the specific manifestation is read access violation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for execution through scripting and potentially T1489 for denial of service. System administrators should monitor for unusual application crashes or memory access errors and implement application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted document processing applications. Additionally, regular security assessments of document viewing applications and comprehensive input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar memory safety issues in other third-party software components.