CVE-2018-20797 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

PoDoFo 0.9.6 has a vulnerability that leads to excessive memory allocation, affecting the PdfMemoryManagement.cpp and PdfFiltersPrivate.cpp files.

Understanding CVE-2018-20797

This CVE entry highlights a memory allocation issue in PoDoFo 0.9.6, impacting specific functions within the software.

What is CVE-2018-20797?

The vulnerability in PoDoFo 0.9.6 triggers excessive memory allocation in the PdfMemoryManagement.cpp file when called from PdfFiltersPrivate.cpp.

The Impact of CVE-2018-20797

The vulnerability can potentially lead to memory exhaustion, causing denial of service or system instability.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-20797

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE entry.

Vulnerability Description

The problem lies in PoDoFo::podofo_calloc, where excessive memory allocation occurs, specifically when invoked from PoDoFo::PdfPredictorDecoder::PdfPredictorDecoder.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: PoDoFo 0.9.6
Vendor: N/A
Version: N/A

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability is exploited by triggering the PoDoFo::podofo_calloc function from PdfFiltersPrivate.cpp, leading to memory allocation issues.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-20797 is crucial to maintain security.

Immediate Steps to Take

Monitor vendor updates for patches addressing the memory allocation vulnerability.
Implement restrictions on memory usage to mitigate potential exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update PoDoFo software to the latest version to ensure patches are applied.
Conduct security audits to identify and address memory-related vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches released by PoDoFo promptly to fix the memory allocation issue and enhance system security.