CVE-2024-5301 in Power PDF
Summary
by MITRE • 06/06/2024
Kofax Power PDF PSD File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code 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 PSD files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a fixed-length heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-22917.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2025
The CVE-2024-5301 vulnerability represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow in Kofax Power PDF's PSD file parsing functionality that enables remote code execution. This vulnerability resides within the software's handling of Photoshop Document (PSD) files, which are commonly used image formats in professional document processing environments. The flaw manifests when the application processes malformed PSD files without adequate input validation, creating a condition where attacker-controlled data can overflow predetermined memory buffers. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and specifically aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, as it requires user interaction through visiting malicious web pages or opening compromised files. The vulnerability's remote execution capability makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious documents through email attachments, web downloads, or document sharing platforms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking during PSD file processing. When Kofax Power PDF encounters a PSD file, it attempts to parse various file headers and metadata sections without proper validation of the length parameters provided by the user-supplied input. The application allocates fixed-size heap buffers to store this parsed data but fails to verify that incoming data lengths do not exceed these buffer boundaries. This oversight allows an attacker to craft a malicious PSD file containing oversized data structures that overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting the heap structure and enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a user to interact with the malicious file, either by opening it directly within the application or by visiting a webpage that triggers automatic processing of the file. This user interaction requirement places the vulnerability in the category of client-side exploits that rely on social engineering techniques to achieve successful compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-5301 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it provides attackers with complete control over affected systems within the context of the current user process. Successful exploitation can lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, persistence mechanisms, and further network reconnaissance activities. In enterprise environments, this vulnerability poses significant risk to document management systems, as Kofax Power PDF is commonly deployed for processing sensitive business documents, contracts, and financial records. The vulnerability's presence in a document processing application creates a particularly attractive attack vector since users regularly interact with PDF and PSD files, making successful exploitation more likely. Organizations using Kofax Power PDF are vulnerable to targeted attacks where adversaries craft malicious documents designed to exploit this specific buffer overflow, potentially compromising entire document workflows and sensitive data repositories. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw means that attackers can establish persistent access to systems without requiring physical presence or local network access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-5301 should focus on immediate patch management and operational security controls. Organizations must prioritize applying vendor-provided security updates as soon as they become available, since Kofax has likely released patches addressing the heap buffer overflow in their PSD file parsing routines. Network-based mitigations include implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious PSD files before they reach end-user systems. Security teams should also consider disabling PSD file processing capabilities in Kofax Power PDF if the functionality is not critical to business operations, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Additional protective measures include deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that monitor for unusual memory allocation patterns or heap corruption indicators, which can help detect exploitation attempts. User education programs should emphasize the dangers of opening untrusted document files and the importance of verifying document sources before processing them with document management applications. Organizations should also implement strict file type validation policies that prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious file formats, particularly in environments where users may encounter documents from external sources. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK tactic TA0002, Execution, and defense in depth strategies should include multiple layers of protection including application whitelisting, privilege separation, and regular security assessments of document processing workflows to prevent successful exploitation attempts.