CVE-2019-17183 in Foxit
Summary
by MITRE
Foxit Reader before 9.7 allows an Access Violation and crash if insufficient memory exists.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2024
Foxit Reader version 9.7 and earlier contains a critical memory management vulnerability that manifests as an access violation and system crash when the application encounters insufficient memory conditions. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation failures within the document processing pipeline, specifically during PDF rendering operations where the software attempts to allocate memory blocks for graphical elements, text processing, or embedded objects. The flaw represents a classic heap-based buffer overflow condition that occurs when the application fails to properly validate memory allocation results before proceeding with subsequent operations. When memory constraints are encountered during document parsing, the software does not implement adequate error handling mechanisms to gracefully manage the allocation failure, resulting in a segmentation fault or access violation that terminates the application process. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common manifestations of memory corruption issues in document processing applications. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it creates a potential attack surface for denial of service attacks where malicious actors could craft specially formatted PDF documents designed to trigger memory allocation failures. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1059.001, which involves command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers could leverage this instability to disrupt legitimate document processing workflows. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Foxit Reader is widely deployed for document management, as it could enable attackers to systematically disrupt document processing services or create conditions that force users to restart applications repeatedly. Security researchers have identified that the flaw is most prevalent when processing complex PDF documents containing numerous embedded objects, high-resolution images, or extensive metadata. The memory management failure occurs during the initialization phase of document rendering where the application attempts to pre-allocate memory buffers for various document components. This issue affects not only the end-user experience but also creates potential secondary impacts such as data loss or corruption when applications crash during document processing. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability as it represents a fundamental flaw in the memory management architecture of the software, potentially exposing systems to more sophisticated attacks that could exploit the same underlying memory handling issues. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper error handling in memory-intensive applications, particularly those processing untrusted input data such as PDF documents. Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Foxit Reader version 9.7 or later, which contains the necessary memory allocation validation fixes, along with network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable systems and enhanced monitoring for unusual application crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.