CVE-2018-17610 in PhantomPDF
Summary
by MITRE
Foxit PhantomPDF and Reader before 9.3 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (use-after-free) because properties of Annotation objects are mishandled. This relates to one of five distinct types of Annotation objects.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-17610 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Foxit PhantomPDF and Reader versions prior to 9.3. This security issue stems from improper handling of annotation object properties within the PDF rendering engine, creating a pathway for remote code execution or denial of service attacks. The vulnerability specifically affects one of five distinct annotation object types, indicating a targeted flaw in the software's object management system rather than a broad architectural weakness.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits memory management errors that occur when annotation objects are accessed after their memory has been freed. When processing PDF documents containing maliciously crafted annotation objects, the software fails to properly validate or manage the lifecycle of these objects, leading to situations where freed memory locations are accessed by subsequent operations. This use-after-free condition creates a predictable memory access pattern that attackers can leverage to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. The flaw manifests during normal PDF processing operations when the software attempts to render or manipulate annotation properties, making it particularly dangerous in automated or unattended environments.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF for document processing. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by vulnerable software, trigger the use-after-free condition and potentially execute malicious payloads. The remote attack vector means that simply viewing a compromised document could lead to system compromise, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently open documents from untrusted sources. The denial of service aspect also represents a serious concern, as it could be exploited to disrupt business operations by causing application crashes or system instability.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software implementations, and maps to attack techniques within the ATT&CK framework under T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter). The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and memory management practices that are common in complex document processing applications. Organizations should immediately update to Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF version 9.3 or later, which includes patches addressing this specific memory management issue. Additionally, implementing network segmentation, email filtering, and user education regarding suspicious document attachments can provide additional layers of protection while awaiting full patch deployment.