CVE-2019-25622 in Paint Studio
Summary
by MITRE • 03/23/2026
Paint Studio 2.17 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows local attackers to crash the application by providing malformed input through the key entry mechanism. Attackers can create a text file with a large buffer of characters and trigger the application to read it, causing the application to crash and become unavailable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-25622 resides within Paint Studio version 2.17, a graphics editing application that falls under the category of desktop software with potential security implications. This particular flaw represents a classic denial of service condition that can be exploited by local attackers who possess the ability to interact with the system's file system. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's key entry mechanism, which serves as an input processing pathway that handles user-provided data. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to process text files containing malformed input, particularly those with excessive character buffers that exceed normal processing expectations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the application's parsing routines. When Paint Studio encounters a text file with an unusually large buffer of characters, the application's internal processing logic fails to properly handle the excessive data load, resulting in a crash condition. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which addresses issues related to insufficient validation of length of input buffers, and more specifically with CWE-400, which covers denial of service conditions that arise from uncontrolled resource consumption. The application's failure to implement proper bounds checking or input sanitization creates an exploitable condition where an attacker can craft malicious input files that will cause the application to consume excessive memory or processing resources, ultimately leading to a complete application crash.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users who may inadvertently execute malicious files or who are targeted by attackers seeking to disrupt normal workflow operations. The local nature of the attack means that the exploit requires physical or network access to the target system, but once achieved, it can effectively render the application unusable until manual intervention occurs. The impact extends beyond simple application unavailability as it can disrupt productivity for users who rely on Paint Studio for their creative work, potentially causing data loss if the application crashes during active editing sessions. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require elevated privileges, making it particularly concerning for environments where multiple users share the same system or where the application runs with user-level permissions.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is straightforward and relies on social engineering or direct system compromise to deliver the malicious text file to the target system. Attackers can create specially crafted text files containing excessive character buffers and then trigger the application to read these files through normal usage patterns, such as opening files or importing data. The application's failure to properly handle such inputs demonstrates a lack of robust error handling and defensive programming practices that are essential for maintaining application stability. This vulnerability can be mitigated through several approaches including input validation, buffer size limitations, and proper error handling mechanisms that prevent malformed data from causing application crashes. Organizations should implement regular software updates and patches to address this issue, while also considering the implementation of additional security controls such as file type restrictions or sandboxing techniques to limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers resource hijacking through denial of service attacks, demonstrating how seemingly benign input processing can become a significant security concern when proper validation mechanisms are absent.