CVE-2020-27856 in Studio Photo
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2021
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of Foxit Studio Photo 3.6.6.922. 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 CR2 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 structure. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-11434.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-27856 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Foxit Studio Photo version 3.6.6.922 that enables remote attackers to access sensitive system data through crafted CR2 image files. This vulnerability operates under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that occur when a program attempts to access memory beyond the boundaries of allocated structures. The flaw manifests during the parsing process of Canon Raw 2 format files, a common image format used in professional photography and digital asset management systems. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious CR2 files that trigger the out-of-bounds memory access condition, potentially exposing sensitive information from the application's memory space.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the CR2 file parser component of Foxit Studio Photo. When processing user-supplied CR2 data, the application fails to properly validate the structure and boundaries of the raw image data, allowing attackers to manipulate the parsing logic through carefully constructed file contents. This insufficient validation creates an opportunity for attackers to cause the application to read memory locations beyond the intended data boundaries, potentially exposing confidential information such as stack contents, heap data, or other sensitive application memory segments. The vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited, specifically requiring the target to open or view the malicious CR2 file within the vulnerable application, making it a client-side exploitation vector that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate system interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a potential pathway for more severe exploitation techniques. An attacker who successfully leverages this out-of-bounds read condition can potentially gather enough information to facilitate subsequent exploitation attempts, including address space layout randomization (ASLR) bypasses or heap spray attacks. The vulnerability's classification under ZDI-CAN-11434 indicates its recognition by the Zero Day Initiative vulnerability research program, highlighting its significance in the cybersecurity community. The read past the end of allocated structure condition creates a fundamental memory safety issue that can be particularly dangerous in applications handling multimedia content, where complex parsing logic and large data structures increase the attack surface. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory boundary checking in multimedia processing applications, as such flaws can provide attackers with the initial foothold needed for more sophisticated exploitation techniques.
Organizations utilizing Foxit Studio Photo should prioritize immediate remediation through official vendor updates and patches to address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include implementing strict file validation mechanisms, deploying network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious CR2 file content, and establishing user education programs to prevent accidental exposure to malicious files. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict the execution of unauthorized multimedia processing applications, particularly in environments where sensitive data is handled. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments of third-party software components should be conducted to identify similar memory safety issues that may exist within other applications within the organization's attack surface. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of robust memory safety practices in multimedia applications, particularly those handling complex file formats that require extensive parsing logic and memory management operations.