Heap-based buffer overflow in QPDF - CVE-2021-36978
Published: August 17, 2022
Vulnerability identifier: #VU66595
CSH Severity: High
CVSS v4.0: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Amber
CVE-ID: CVE-2021-36978
CWE-ID: CWE-122
Exploitation vector: Remote access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vendor: SourceForge
Affected software:
QPDF
QPDF
Detailed vulnerability description
The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
The vulnerability exists due to a boundary error within the Pl_ASCII85Decoder::write() function when processing PDF files. A remote attacker can pass specially crafted file to the application, trigger a heap-based buffer overflow and execute arbitrary code on the target system.
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in complete compromise of vulnerable system.
How to mitigate CVE-2021-36978
Install update from vendor's website.