CVE-2022-35470 in OTFCC
Summary
by MITRE • 08/17/2022
OTFCC v0.10.4 was discovered to contain a heap-buffer overflow via /release-x64/otfccdump+0x65fc97.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-35470 represents a critical heap-buffer overflow flaw within the OTFCC software version 0.10.4. This issue manifests specifically within the /release-x64/otfccdump binary at offset 0x65fc97, indicating a memory corruption vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability arises from improper bounds checking during the processing of certain input data structures, allowing attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries and potentially execute arbitrary code or cause application crashes. The heap-buffer overflow represents a fundamental memory safety issue that violates core security principles and can lead to severe operational consequences in environments where this software is deployed. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow category, which is classified as a critical weakness in software security implementations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires careful manipulation of input data that triggers the specific code path within the otfccdump utility. When the software processes malformed or specially crafted input files, the buffer overflow occurs during memory allocation and data copying operations, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory regions including stack canaries, return addresses, or other critical program data. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that this vulnerability exists in a utility that likely processes font-related data, which could be encountered in various legitimate use cases. The heap-based nature of the vulnerability means that exploitation could lead to more sophisticated attack vectors including remote code execution, denial of service, or privilege escalation depending on the execution context and system configuration.
Operational impact assessment reveals that systems running OTFCC version 0.10.4 are at significant risk of being compromised through this heap-buffer overflow vulnerability. Organizations that utilize this software for font processing, document handling, or any application that relies on OTFCC for text rendering or font conversion may experience service disruptions, unauthorized access, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in a widely used utility increases the potential attack surface considerably, as it may be invoked through various automated processes or user interactions. Security teams must consider that this flaw could be leveraged in advanced persistent threat scenarios where attackers seek to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within affected environments. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter suggests potential for command execution if successfully exploited.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-35470 should prioritize immediate software updates to the latest available version of OTFCC that contains patches for this heap-buffer overflow vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of systems running affected software, particularly in environments where untrusted input processing occurs. Input validation measures should be enhanced to prevent malformed data from reaching the vulnerable code paths, and application whitelisting can help prevent execution of untrusted binaries. Memory protection mechanisms including stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention should be enabled to reduce exploitability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other software components, and incident response procedures should be updated to address potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, including unusual memory allocation patterns or process termination events.