CVE-2019-13331 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Foxit Reader 9.5.0.20723. 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 JPG 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 buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-8838.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2024
CVE-2019-13331 represents a critical buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Foxit Reader version 9.5.0.20723 that enables remote code execution through maliciously crafted JPG files. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category of CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions where an application attempts to read data beyond the boundaries of a allocated buffer. The flaw manifests during the parsing of JPEG image files, specifically when the software fails to properly validate user-supplied data during image processing operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by hosting a malicious JPG file on a web server or embedding it within a malicious document that lures users into opening it. The vulnerability's exploitation requires user interaction, making it a client-side attack vector that leverages social engineering tactics to deliver malicious payloads. When a user visits a compromised webpage containing the malicious JPG file or opens a document with embedded malicious graphics, the vulnerable Foxit Reader application processes the image data without adequate bounds checking, leading to memory corruption. This memory corruption allows attackers to manipulate the program's execution flow and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user process. The security implications extend beyond simple code execution as this vulnerability can serve as a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within targeted environments. The attack pattern aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007, which covers command and script interpreter execution through malicious file formats. Organizations using Foxit Reader should prioritize immediate patching as this vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild and represents a significant risk to enterprise security. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that attackers can compromise systems without requiring physical access or complex local privileges, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with web content and office documents. This issue highlights the importance of input validation and proper memory management in document processing applications, particularly those handling multimedia content like images within PDF readers. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway demonstrates how seemingly benign file formats can become attack vectors when applications fail to implement robust validation mechanisms. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and implement network-based protections to block malicious JPG files. The ZDI-CAN-8838 reference indicates that this vulnerability was tracked by the Zero Day Initiative, emphasizing its significance in the cybersecurity community. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted code and maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to identify related attack patterns. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for regular security assessments of document processing software and highlights the potential for similar issues in other applications that handle external media formats.