CVE-2018-10495 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 PDF documents. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a type confusion condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-5586.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
CVE-2018-10495 represents a critical type confusion vulnerability in Foxit Reader version 9.0.0.29935 that enables remote code execution through malicious PDF documents. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-466, which specifically addresses the issue of returning a pointer to a data structure that is not of the expected type. The flaw occurs during the parsing of PDF documents where the application fails to properly validate user-supplied data, leading to a scenario where memory is accessed with incorrect type assumptions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires a sophisticated attack vector involving crafted PDF content that manipulates the application's internal data structures. When Foxit Reader processes a malicious PDF file, the improper validation allows an attacker to inject data that confuses the type system, causing the application to interpret memory locations as different data types than intended. This type confusion condition creates a predictable memory access pattern that can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory segments or execute arbitrary machine code within the context of the running Foxit Reader process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within targeted environments. Since the exploitation requires user interaction through visiting malicious web pages or opening compromised files, this vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, which emphasizes the importance of user engagement in successful exploitation scenarios. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Foxit Reader for document viewing, potentially exposing them to advanced persistent threats where attackers can establish backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy additional malware payloads.
Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation through patch management, as Foxit released updates addressing this specific vulnerability in subsequent versions of their software. The recommended approach involves implementing strict document validation policies, deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious PDF content, and educating users about the risks of opening untrusted documents. Additional protective measures include sandboxing PDF viewing applications, implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, and maintaining comprehensive monitoring of suspicious file access patterns. Security teams should also consider deploying email filtering solutions that can identify and block malicious PDF attachments before they reach end users, as this vulnerability specifically targets the document parsing functionality that is central to the application's core operations.