CVE-2019-25621 in Pixel Studio
Summary
by MITRE • 03/23/2026
Pixel Studio 2.17 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application by providing malformed input through the keyboard interface. Attackers can trigger the vulnerability by entering arbitrary characters, causing the application to become unresponsive or terminate abnormally.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-25621 affects Pixel Studio version 2.17 and represents a denial of service condition that can be exploited by local attackers through keyboard input manipulation. This flaw resides within the application's input handling mechanisms and demonstrates a critical weakness in the software's ability to process malformed data from user interfaces. The vulnerability specifically targets the keyboard interface component, making it accessible to any user with local system access who can interact with the application's input fields.
From a technical perspective, the flaw manifests when the application fails to properly validate or sanitize keyboard input sequences before processing them within the Pixel Studio environment. The system lacks adequate input filtering and error handling routines that would normally prevent malformed character sequences from causing application instability. When attackers input arbitrary characters through the keyboard interface, the application's processing pipeline encounters unexpected data patterns that trigger internal crashes or abnormal termination states. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-248, which addresses exposure of an exception to an unexpected environment, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that leads to application instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application disruption, as it provides attackers with a mechanism to systematically degrade system availability and user productivity. Local attackers can exploit this weakness to repeatedly crash the Pixel Studio application, potentially causing data loss or requiring manual intervention to restore normal operation. The vulnerability's accessibility through standard keyboard interaction means that any user with local access to the system can potentially trigger the denial of service condition, making it particularly concerning in multi-user environments where privilege escalation might be possible. This weakness directly impacts the application's reliability and can be leveraged as part of broader attack strategies targeting system stability and availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-25621 should focus on implementing robust input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the keyboard interface processing components of Pixel Studio. Security enhancements should include the implementation of strict character set validation, proper error handling routines, and defensive programming practices that prevent malformed input from causing application crashes. Organizations should prioritize updating to patched versions of Pixel Studio where available, while also implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual application behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, though this specific case represents a local system-level denial of service rather than network-based. Additionally, implementing proper input validation frameworks and conducting regular security testing of user interface components can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future software versions.