CVE-2018-20551 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Poppler 0.72.0 contains a vulnerability that allows attackers to launch a denial of service attack by creating corrupted rich media annotation assets within the AnnotRichMedia class in Annot.c.

Understanding CVE-2018-20551

This CVE entry highlights a specific vulnerability present in Poppler 0.72.0 that can be exploited to cause a denial of service.

What is CVE-2018-20551?

The vulnerability in Poppler 0.72.0 enables attackers to trigger a denial of service by generating corrupted rich media annotation assets within the AnnotRichMedia class in Annot.c.

The Impact of CVE-2018-20551

The exploit in Poppler 0.72.0 can lead to a denial of service attack, potentially disrupting the normal operation of the affected system.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-20551

Poppler 0.72.0 vulnerability details and impact.

Vulnerability Description

A reachable Object::getString assertion in Poppler 0.72.0 allows attackers to cause a denial of service due to construction of invalid rich media annotation assets in the AnnotRichMedia class in Annot.c.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Version: 0.72.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by creating corrupted rich media annotation assets within the AnnotRichMedia class in Annot.c.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2018-20551 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches or updates provided by the software vendor.
Monitor security advisories for any new information.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and systems to the latest versions.
Implement network security measures to detect and prevent similar attacks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the affected software, in this case, Poppler, is updated to a version that addresses the vulnerability.