CVE-2018-14300 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Foxit Reader 9.0.1.5096. 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 processing of Polygon annotations. By manipulating a document's elements, an attacker can cause a pointer to be reused after it has been freed. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-6216.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/12/2020
CVE-2018-14300 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Foxit Reader version 9.0.1.5096 that enables remote code execution through crafted Polygon annotations. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of use after free conditions, where memory allocated to a pointer is deallocated and subsequently accessed again, creating a dangerous state that attackers can exploit. The flaw manifests during the processing of Polygon annotations within PDF documents, specifically when the application handles malformed or maliciously constructed polygon elements that trigger improper memory management behavior.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious PDF document containing specially constructed Polygon annotations that cause the application to free a memory pointer and then reuse it before proper validation. This memory corruption occurs within the PDF rendering engine of Foxit Reader, where the application fails to properly validate the bounds of polygon data structures during annotation processing. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the memory management level, allowing attackers to manipulate heap structures and potentially overwrite critical function pointers or return addresses, leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user process.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Foxit Reader for document processing, as it requires only a single user interaction to compromise systems through web browsing or file opening activities. The attack vector typically involves social engineering campaigns where users are directed to malicious websites hosting compromised PDF documents or receive malicious attachments via email. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially enable lateral movement within networks, as successful exploitation can provide attackers with a foothold to escalate privileges and access sensitive organizational data. The ZDI-CAN-6216 reference indicates this vulnerability was recognized by the Zero Day Initiative and addressed through coordinated disclosure practices.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-14300 should include immediate patching of Foxit Reader installations to versions that address the memory management issues in polygon annotation processing. Organizations should implement network-based security controls such as web proxies with PDF content filtering to prevent users from accessing potentially malicious documents. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should emphasize the importance of verifying document sources before opening PDF files, particularly those received via email or downloaded from untrusted websites. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of Foxit Reader to trusted environments only, while monitoring for unusual process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices in PDF processing applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for exploitation of remote services, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and memory safety mechanisms in document rendering engines.