CVE-2018-25277 in PixGPS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/27/2026
PixGPS 1.1.8 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application by supplying an oversized string to the folder path input field. Attackers can craft a payload exceeding 6000 bytes and paste it into the 'Folder with picture files' field to trigger a denial of service condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2026
The PixGPS version 1.1.8 application contains a critical buffer overflow vulnerability located within its folder path input handling mechanism, specifically affecting the user interface element designated for specifying directories containing image files. This flaw arises from an improper validation and bounds-checking process when processing string inputs provided by local users. The software fails to adequately verify the length of the data entered into the Folder with picture files field before attempting to copy or manipulate this data within a fixed-size memory buffer. Consequently, when an attacker supplies a payload exceeding 6000 bytes, the application attempts to write more data than the allocated buffer can hold, leading to adjacent memory corruption and subsequent stack overflow conditions that destabilize the program execution flow.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability is classified under CWE-120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input Classic Buffer Overflow. The root cause lies in the lack of rigorous input sanitization routines prior to memory allocation or string manipulation operations. By pasting an oversized string into the designated field, local attackers can overwrite critical control data on the stack, such as return addresses or exception handling pointers. While the immediate observable effect is a crash resulting in a denial of service condition where the application terminates unexpectedly, buffer overflows are historically significant because they often serve as vectors for arbitrary code execution if additional exploitation techniques like shellcode injection and address space layout randomization bypasses are employed. However, in this specific instance, the primary impact remains restricted to availability disruption due to the immediate crash state triggered by the memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily focused on service availability rather than confidentiality or integrity at first glance. Local attackers with access to the application can reliably trigger a denial of service condition simply by interacting with the graphical user interface and inputting maliciously crafted strings. This disrupts workflow for users relying on PixGPS for photo management, as repeated crashes may lead to data loss if unsaved work is present in memory at the time of termination. Furthermore, the stability of the host system could be compromised depending on how the operating system handles the abrupt process exit and associated resource cleanup failures.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching by upgrading PixGPS to a version that addresses this input validation deficiency. Developers must implement strict length checks before processing any user-supplied path data, ensuring that inputs do not exceed predefined buffer limits. Additionally, employing modern memory-safe programming practices or using compiler-level protections such as stack canaries and Data Execution Prevention would significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. For end-users unable to update immediately, restricting access to the application and avoiding the input of untrusted file paths into the folder selection fields serves as a temporary defensive measure against local denial-of-service attacks aligned with ATT&CK technique T1499 Endpoint Denial of Service.