CVE-2017-14577 in STDU Viewer
Summary
by MITRE
STDU Viewer 1.6.375 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service via a crafted .xps file, related to a "Read Access Violation on Control Flow starting at Unknown Symbol @ 0x0000000003aa7cef called from Unknown Symbol @ 0x0000000004aa024d."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14577 affects STDU Viewer version 1.6.375, a document viewing application that processes XPS (XML Paper Specification) files. This security flaw represents a critical memory corruption issue that can be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code or induce denial of service conditions. The vulnerability manifests through improper handling of crafted XPS files that trigger memory access violations during the application's processing of control flow structures.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from a read access violation occurring at an unknown symbol address within the application's memory space. Specifically, the error occurs when the application attempts to execute control flow operations starting at address 0x0000000003aa7cef, which is called from another unknown symbol at address 0x0000000004aa024d. This indicates a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption scenario where the application fails to properly validate input data from XPS files before processing them. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write operations that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable complete system compromise. When an attacker successfully crafts a malicious XPS file, the application's failure to properly validate memory operations can result in execution of attacker-controlled code with the privileges of the affected user. This creates a significant threat vector for privilege escalation attacks, particularly in environments where users might encounter untrusted documents. The vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering tactics where users are tricked into opening malicious documents, or through automated systems that process XPS files without proper validation.
From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) as attackers can leverage the arbitrary code execution capability to deploy additional malware or establish persistence. The vulnerability also aligns with T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) when the application is used in web-based contexts or shared environments. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, while also ensuring that users cannot execute arbitrary code through document processing applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and memory safety practices in document processing applications, particularly those handling complex markup formats like XPS documents. Security professionals should prioritize patch management for affected systems and consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of potentially vulnerable applications until proper updates are deployed.