CVE-2024-27336 in Power PDF
Summary
by MITRE • 04/03/2024
Kofax Power PDF PNG File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Read Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of Kofax Power PDF. 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 PNG 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 object. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-22022.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2025
The CVE-2024-27336 vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw in Kofax Power PDF's PNG file parsing functionality that exposes sensitive information through improper input validation. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions where programs access memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The flaw manifests when the application processes maliciously crafted PNG files without adequate bounds checking, allowing attackers to read data from adjacent memory regions that may contain sensitive information such as stack contents, heap data, or other process memory segments.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires user interaction, making it a client-side attack vector that typically involves social engineering techniques to lure victims into visiting malicious websites or opening compromised files. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for client-side attacks through web-based delivery mechanisms. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the out-of-bounds read condition can potentially expose memory layout information that attackers could leverage for more sophisticated exploits, including arbitrary code execution. The ZDI-CAN-22022 identifier confirms this vulnerability was identified by the Zero Day Initiative and properly catalogued within the cybersecurity community's vulnerability tracking systems.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic buffer over-read scenario where the PNG parser fails to validate the length and structure of image data before attempting to access specific memory offsets. When processing PNG files, the application allocates memory buffers based on expected data sizes but does not sufficiently validate the actual data provided by the user, particularly in edge cases or malformed PNG structures. This validation gap creates opportunities for attackers to craft PNG files that trigger memory access violations, potentially exposing process memory contents that could include cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other sensitive application data. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway typically involves creating a specially crafted PNG file that, when opened or viewed within Kofax Power PDF, triggers the out-of-bounds read condition.
Organizations using Kofax Power PDF must implement immediate mitigations to protect against this vulnerability, including applying the vendor's security patches and updates as soon as they become available. Network-based mitigations should focus on blocking access to known malicious domains and implementing content filtering mechanisms that can detect and prevent the delivery of potentially harmful PNG files. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding untrusted websites and suspicious file attachments, particularly when dealing with document processing applications. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory access patterns and potential exploitation attempts within affected systems, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential information disclosure scenarios that could lead to more serious security breaches.