CVE-2022-35058 in OTFCC
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2022
OTFCC commit 617837b was discovered to contain a heap buffer overflow via /release-x64/otfccdump+0x6b05ce.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-35058 represents a critical heap buffer overflow flaw within the OTFCC (OpenType Font Compiler Collection) software suite. This issue was discovered in the commit 617837b and manifests specifically within the /release-x64/otfccdump binary at offset 0x6b05ce. The vulnerability arises from improper memory management during font processing operations, where the application fails to adequately validate input data boundaries before performing memory allocations. This heap buffer overflow condition creates a potential attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code or cause application crashes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the font parsing routines that handle OpenType font files. When processing malformed or specially crafted font data, the otfccdump utility attempts to allocate heap memory without sufficient validation of the expected data sizes. This allows an attacker to provide input that exceeds the allocated buffer boundaries, resulting in memory corruption that can be leveraged for code execution. The vulnerability specifically affects the release-x64 build configuration, indicating that the issue may be more prevalent in optimized production binaries compared to debug versions. This heap overflow represents a classic software security flaw that falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category of CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflow conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability to encompass potential system compromise and data integrity threats. When exploited successfully, the heap buffer overflow could enable attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects users who process font files through the otfccdump utility, which is commonly used in font development, testing, and deployment workflows across various applications. Organizations that rely on OpenType font processing for their digital content workflows face significant risk, particularly those with automated font processing pipelines or systems that handle untrusted font inputs from external sources. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires minimal user interaction beyond processing a malicious font file, making it suitable for automated exploitation in targeted attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-35058 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the latest stable releases from the OTFCC maintainers. Organizations should implement strict input validation procedures for all font processing workflows, including sanitization of font files before processing and deployment of automated scanning tools to detect potentially malicious font content. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation by ensuring that font processing services operate with minimal necessary permissions. Security monitoring should include detection of anomalous memory allocation patterns and unexpected process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting and runtime protection mechanisms can provide defense-in-depth measures against potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1203 for exploitation for execution, making it particularly relevant for organizations implementing comprehensive threat hunting and incident response protocols. Regular security assessments of font processing pipelines and comprehensive vulnerability scanning should be integrated into the overall security posture to prevent similar issues from emerging in other font processing components or related systems.