CVE-2019-14208 : Security Advisory and Response

Foxit PhantomPDF versions prior to 8.3.10 are vulnerable to a NULL pointer dereference issue, potentially leading to a crash when handling specific PDF objects.

Understanding CVE-2019-14208

Foxit PhantomPDF versions prior to 8.3.10 are prone to a vulnerability that can result in a crash due to a NULL pointer dereference.

What is CVE-2019-14208?

An issue in Foxit PhantomPDF before version 8.3.10 can trigger a crash when attempting to retrieve a PDF object from a document or parsing a specific portfolio containing an empty dictionary.

The Impact of CVE-2019-14208

The vulnerability could allow an attacker to exploit the application, potentially leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition by causing the application to crash.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-14208

Foxit PhantomPDF versions prior to 8.3.10 are affected by a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises when the application tries to access a PDF object from a document or processes a portfolio with an empty dictionary, resulting in a crash due to a NULL pointer dereference.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Foxit PhantomPDF
Versions affected: Prior to 8.3.10

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by crafting a malicious PDF file that triggers the NULL pointer dereference when opened by the vulnerable Foxit PhantomPDF application.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2019-14208.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Foxit PhantomPDF to version 8.3.10 or later to address the vulnerability.
Exercise caution when opening PDF files from untrusted or unknown sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and applications to the latest versions to patch known vulnerabilities.
Implement security best practices such as network segmentation and access controls to minimize the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that Foxit PhantomPDF is regularly updated to the latest version to protect against known vulnerabilities.