CVE-2018-20314 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF ProxyCheckLicence Race Condition Vulnerability

Understanding CVE-2018-20314

What is CVE-2018-20314?

A race condition named proxyCheckLicence exists in Foxit Reader versions prior to 9.5 and PhantomPDF versions prior to 8.3.10 and 9.x prior to 9.5. This vulnerability can lead to a stack-based buffer overflow or an out-of-bounds read.

The Impact of CVE-2018-20314

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service by crashing the application.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-20314

Vulnerability Description

The race condition in proxyCheckLicence in Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF versions can result in a stack-based buffer overflow or an out-of-bounds read.

Affected Systems and Versions

Foxit Reader versions prior to 9.5
PhantomPDF versions prior to 8.3.10 and 9.x prior to 9.5

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to trigger a stack-based buffer overflow or an out-of-bounds read, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Foxit Reader and PhantomPDF to versions 9.5 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Regularly monitor for security advisories and patches from the software vendor.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices to prevent race conditions and buffer overflows.
Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches and updates provided by Foxit Software to address the proxyCheckLicence race condition.