CVE-2018-10474 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of U3D Shading objects. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-5393.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10474 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw in Foxit Reader version 9.0.0.29935 that enables remote code execution under specific conditions. This vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues and is particularly concerning due to its remote exploitability without requiring local system access. The flaw exists within the parsing mechanism of U3D Shading objects, which are part of the Universal 3D file format used for 3D graphics in PDF documents. The attack vector requires user interaction through visiting a malicious webpage or opening a crafted malicious file, making it particularly dangerous in phishing scenarios or when users encounter compromised PDF content in web browsing sessions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation during the processing of U3D Shading objects within the PDF rendering engine. When Foxit Reader encounters a malformed U3D object in a PDF document, the parsing routine fails to properly validate the boundaries of user-supplied data structures. This lack of proper bounds checking allows an attacker to craft malicious input that causes the application to write data beyond the allocated memory buffer for the shading object. The specific nature of this memory corruption creates a classic buffer overflow condition that can be exploited to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially including return addresses or function pointers, thereby enabling arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions in heap-based memory structures.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-10474 extends beyond simple code execution, as successful exploitation allows attackers to operate under the privileges of the currently running Foxit Reader process. This means that if a user with administrative privileges opens a malicious PDF file, the attacker could potentially gain elevated system access. The vulnerability's remote exploitability makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently encounter PDF documents from external sources. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, deploy additional malware, or conduct further reconnaissance within the compromised network. The ZDI-CAN-5393 reference indicates this vulnerability was recognized by the Zero Day Initiative, highlighting its significance in the cybersecurity community and the potential for widespread exploitation across various target environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10474 should prioritize immediate patching of Foxit Reader installations to the latest version that contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network-based controls such as web application firewalls and PDF content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious PDF content before it reaches end users. User education remains crucial, as the vulnerability requires user interaction to exploit, making awareness of suspicious PDF files and web pages essential. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for PDF processing and monitoring for unusual network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving initial access through malicious files and privilege escalation through code execution, making it a critical target for defensive security operations. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure all instances of Foxit Reader within an organization are properly updated and monitored for similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.