CVE-2024-55082 in Stirling-PDF
Summary
by MITRE • 12/19/2024
A Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in the endpoint http://{your-server}/url-to-pdf of Stirling-PDF 0.35.1 allows attackers to access sensitive information via a crafted request.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-55082 represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw within the Stirling-PDF application version 0.35.1. This security weakness resides in the url-to-pdf endpoint which processes external URLs and converts them to PDF documents. The flaw enables malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior by submitting crafted requests that bypass normal access controls and potentially gain unauthorized access to internal systems or sensitive data. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly restrict the URLs that can be processed by the PDF conversion service.
The technical implementation of this SSRF vulnerability allows attackers to leverage the application's legitimate functionality to make HTTP requests to internal network resources that should normally be inaccessible from the outside. When an attacker submits a malicious URL to the vulnerable endpoint, the application processes this request without proper validation, potentially enabling access to internal services, databases, or other sensitive systems that exist behind firewalls or network boundaries. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-918, which specifically addresses server-side request forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to properly validate and restrict external resource access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially enable attackers to perform reconnaissance activities against internal network infrastructure. Attackers might use this flaw to enumerate internal services, access sensitive configuration files, or even attempt to exploit other vulnerabilities within the internal network. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where the Stirling-PDF application runs on systems with access to sensitive internal resources. According to ATT&CK framework category T1566, this vulnerability represents a server-side request forgery technique that can be used to bypass network security controls and gain access to internal systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-55082 should focus on implementing strict input validation and URL sanitization mechanisms within the application's processing pipeline. Organizations should immediately upgrade to the latest version of Stirling-PDF where this vulnerability has been patched and address the underlying SSRF flaw through proper request validation. Network-level mitigations such as implementing proper firewall rules and restricting outbound connections from the application server can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns targeting the vulnerable endpoint. Additionally, the application should be configured to only accept URLs from trusted domains and implement proper access controls to prevent unauthorized access to internal resources through the PDF conversion service.