CVE-2018-9980 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information 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 U3D files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read past the end of an allocated object. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-5430.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9980 represents a critical information disclosure flaw in Foxit Reader version 9.0.0.29935 that exposes systems to remote exploitation through improper handling of U3D file formats. This vulnerability operates under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions where applications fail to properly validate input data before processing. The flaw manifests when the PDF reader encounters malicious U3D files that contain crafted data structures designed to trigger memory access violations. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited, meaning an attacker must convince a victim to visit a malicious webpage or open a compromised file, making this a typical social engineering vector within the ATT&CK framework under the T1203 technique for legitimate credential exposure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation during the parsing of Universal 3D (U3D) files, which are three-dimensional graphics objects embedded within PDF documents. When Foxit Reader processes these files, it fails to properly bounds-check memory allocations, allowing attackers to craft malicious U3D content that causes the application to read memory beyond allocated buffers. This out-of-bounds read behavior can potentially expose sensitive memory contents including stack data, heap information, or other process memory segments that may contain authentication tokens, encryption keys, or other confidential information. The vulnerability's exploitation path aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, where attackers leverage application flaws to execute malicious code, though the initial disclosure serves as a precursor to more severe attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-9980 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the vulnerability can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within the broader attack chain. Attackers can leverage the information disclosure to gather intelligence about the target system's memory layout, which can then be used to refine subsequent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's presence in a widely used PDF reader application creates significant risk across enterprise environments where users frequently open PDF documents from untrusted sources. The fact that this vulnerability was tracked as ZDI-CAN-5430 indicates it was recognized by the Zero Day Initiative as a legitimate security concern, highlighting the potential for widespread exploitation given the application's market penetration and the common usage patterns of PDF documents in business environments.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of Foxit Reader installations to address this vulnerability, as the lack of input validation creates an attack surface that can be exploited without requiring advanced technical skills. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the patch in controlled environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing workflows. Security teams should also implement network monitoring to detect attempts to access malicious U3D content and consider deploying web application firewalls to block known malicious file types. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious websites and untrusted PDF attachments, as the social engineering component of this vulnerability makes user awareness crucial for effective defense. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-125 and its exploitation patterns align with common attack methodologies documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly in the context of initial access and privilege escalation techniques.