CVE-2017-14576 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 .xps file, related to a "Possible Stack Corruption starting at Unknown Symbol @ 0x00000000049f0281."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14576 affects STDU Viewer version 1.6.375, a document viewing application that processes XPS (XML Paper Specification) files. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that could enable remote attackers to disrupt system operations or potentially execute arbitrary code through maliciously crafted XPS documents. The issue manifests as a stack corruption condition that occurs during the processing of malformed input files, specifically when the application attempts to parse certain elements within the XPS format structure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the STDU Viewer application. When processing a specially crafted .xps file, the application encounters an "Unknown Symbol" at memory address 0x00000000049f0281, which triggers a stack corruption scenario. This condition typically arises when the parser encounters unexpected data structures or malformed elements that exceed allocated memory boundaries or violate expected data patterns. The vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflows and memory corruption issues, which are classified as CWE-121 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The stack corruption occurs during the parsing phase of XPS document processing, where the application's memory management routines fail to properly handle malformed input data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on STDU Viewer for document processing tasks. The denial of service impact means that legitimate users could experience system crashes or application hangs when attempting to open maliciously crafted XPS files. Additionally, the unspecified other impacts suggest potential for more severe consequences including privilege escalation or remote code execution, depending on the specific memory layout and system configuration. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by delivering malicious XPS files through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or compromised file sharing systems. The vulnerability affects systems where STDU Viewer is installed and actively processes XPS documents, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where document processing is common.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14576 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability has been addressed through software updates from the vendor. Organizations should implement network-level controls to prevent the execution of potentially malicious XPS files, including content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms. Security teams should also consider disabling XPS file processing capabilities where possible, particularly in high-risk environments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, highlighting the importance of application security controls and input validation. Additional defensive measures include implementing application whitelisting policies, conducting regular security assessments of document processing applications, and establishing incident response procedures for handling potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should also monitor for suspicious file access patterns and implement proper logging to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and memory safety practices in document processing applications, aligning with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and other industry security standards.