CVE-2026-90634 in OpenOffice
Summary
by MITRE • 11/04/2026
An uncontrolled memory access in the PDF import code of Apache OpenOffice versions through 4.1.16 allows a crafted PDF to cause an out-of-bounds memory write, causing program crash or memory corruption. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 4.1.17, which fixes this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2026
The vulnerability identified in Apache OpenOffice versions through 4.1.16 represents a critical security flaw within the application's PDF import module, specifically categorized as an uncontrolled memory access leading to out-of-bounds write operations. This type of defect is fundamentally rooted in improper validation of input data during the parsing and rendering processes of Portable Document Format files. When the software attempts to interpret complex or maliciously crafted PDF structures, it fails to adequately verify buffer boundaries before writing data into allocated memory regions. Consequently, this allows an attacker who supplies a specially constructed PDF file to write data beyond the intended limits of the designated memory block. Such behavior is technically classified under CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, which highlights the danger of overwriting adjacent memory locations with arbitrary or controlled values.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability. While a successful exploit may initially manifest as an immediate program crash due to segmentation faults triggered by accessing protected memory pages, the more severe risk lies in potential memory corruption. By controlling the data written outside the buffer boundaries, an attacker can overwrite critical metadata structures such as function pointers or exception handlers located adjacent to the vulnerable buffer. This capability transforms a denial-of-service scenario into a potential remote code execution vector if other exploitation techniques are combined with this primitive. The integrity of the host system is compromised because the malicious PDF acts as a delivery mechanism for memory manipulation, allowing an attacker to hijack control flow within the application process context.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution, where attackers utilize trusted applications like office suites to execute malicious payloads on victim systems. The attack vector is typically remote via network or local if the file is opened through social engineering tactics such as phishing emails containing infected attachments. Users are strongly advised to upgrade immediately to Apache OpenOffice version 4.1.17 or later, where developers have implemented stricter bounds checking and input validation mechanisms within the PDF import code path. Until the update is applied, organizations should consider restricting the execution of untrusted documents in isolated environments or employing sandboxing solutions that limit the impact of potential memory corruption events on the underlying operating system kernel and other processes.