CVE-2018-5678 in Foxit Reader
Summary
by MITRE
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable installations of Foxit Reader before 9.1 and PhantomPDF before 9.1. 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 specially crafted pdf files with embedded u3d images. Crafted data in the PDF file can trigger an overflow of a heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code under the context of the current process, a different vulnerability than CVE-2018-5674 and CVE-2018-5676.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5678 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw affecting Foxit Reader versions prior to 9.1 and PhantomPDF versions prior to 9.1. This vulnerability operates through a sophisticated attack vector that leverages the processing of specially crafted pdf files containing embedded u3d images. The flaw specifically manifests during the handling of multimedia content within pdf documents, where the application fails to properly validate the size and structure of embedded universal 3d (u3d) elements. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, though the implementation involves heap memory corruption that can be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution. Security researchers have noted that this vulnerability operates independently from other related flaws such as CVE-2018-5674 and CVE-2018-5676, making it a distinct threat vector within the Foxit software ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2018-5678 requires a user interaction component that significantly impacts its operational security profile. Attackers must successfully entice targets to visit malicious web pages or open compromised pdf files that contain the crafted u3d content. This user interaction requirement aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on target systems. The buffer overflow occurs when the pdf processing engine encounters malformed u3d data that exceeds the allocated heap buffer boundaries. This overflow can overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses, function pointers, or other critical program state information. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is amplified by the fact that the target application operates with elevated privileges, allowing attackers to execute code under the context of the current process, which typically represents the user's security context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution to potentially enable full system compromise. When successfully exploited, attackers can leverage the heap overflow to gain control over the application's execution flow and subsequently execute malicious payloads. The vulnerability's presence in widely used pdf readers like Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF creates a significant attack surface across enterprise and individual users. Organizations that rely on these applications for document processing become particularly vulnerable to targeted attacks, especially when users access untrusted web content or receive malicious email attachments. The attack vector's reliance on user interaction makes it challenging to defend against entirely through network-based security controls, requiring comprehensive endpoint protection strategies. This vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with complex multimedia processing capabilities within document readers, where embedded content handling can introduce unexpected security risks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-5678 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions 9.1 or later, where Foxit has implemented proper input validation and buffer boundary checking for u3d content processing. Organizations should also deploy network-based security controls such as web application firewalls and pdf content filtering to prevent the delivery of malicious pdf files to end users. Endpoint protection solutions should include behavioral monitoring to detect anomalous u3d processing activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should implement user education programs to raise awareness about the risks of opening untrusted pdf files from unknown sources. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK framework emphasizes the need for layered defense mechanisms, including application whitelisting, sandboxing of pdf processing, and regular security assessments of document handling applications. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential lateral movement if an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability on a single endpoint, as the vulnerability's execution context remains within the application's current process space rather than escalating to system-level privileges.