CVE-2018-18650 : What You Need to Know

Xpdf 4.00 has a vulnerability that can be exploited by attackers through a crafted /Size value in a pdf file, leading to a denial of service attack due to an Integer Overflow.

Understanding CVE-2018-18650

Xpdf 4.00 vulnerability allowing denial of service attacks.

What is CVE-2018-18650?

An issue in Xpdf 4.00 allows attackers to trigger a denial of service attack by manipulating the /Size value in a pdf file, causing an Integer Overflow.

The Impact of CVE-2018-18650

Attackers can exploit the vulnerability to launch denial of service attacks on systems running Xpdf 4.00.
The issue arises from the program attempting to allocate a large amount of memory using malloc.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-18650

Xpdf 4.00 vulnerability details.

Vulnerability Description

XRef::readXRefStream in XRef.cc is the vulnerable component allowing attackers to trigger a denial of service via a crafted /Size value in a pdf file.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Xpdf 4.00
Vendor: N/A
Version: N/A

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers manipulate the /Size value in a pdf file to trigger an Integer Overflow, leading to a denial of service attack.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect systems from CVE-2018-18650.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Xpdf to a patched version that addresses the vulnerability.
Be cautious when opening pdf files from untrusted sources.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software and apply security patches.
Implement proper input validation to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Check for security advisories from Xpdf and apply patches promptly to mitigate the vulnerability.