CVE-2019-20814 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A vulnerability has been identified in versions of Foxit PhantomPDF earlier than 8.3.12. This vulnerability arises due to excessive memory usage caused by the creation of data for every page in an application.

Understanding CVE-2019-20814

An issue was discovered in Foxit PhantomPDF before 8.3.12. It allows memory consumption because data is created for each page of an application level.

What is CVE-2019-20814?

CVE-2019-20814 is a vulnerability found in Foxit PhantomPDF versions prior to 8.3.12, leading to excessive memory usage due to the creation of data for each page within an application.

The Impact of CVE-2019-20814

This vulnerability could potentially allow attackers to exploit the excessive memory consumption, leading to denial of service or other malicious activities.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-20814

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Foxit PhantomPDF versions before 8.3.12 results in excessive memory usage as data is generated for every page in the application.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Foxit PhantomPDF
Versions affected: Earlier than 8.3.12

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by malicious actors to cause denial of service or other harmful activities by leveraging the excessive memory consumption.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Foxit PhantomPDF to version 8.3.12 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor system resources for any unusual memory consumption.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software to the latest versions to patch known vulnerabilities.
Implement proper memory management practices to prevent memory-related vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches and updates provided by Foxit Software to address vulnerabilities like CVE-2019-20814.