CVE-2020-10222 – This vulnerability in Nitro Pro's npdf.dll allo... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2020-10222?

CVE-2020-10222 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (HIGH). This vulnerability in Nitro Pro's npdf.dll allows heap corruption when processing specially crafted PDF files. Attackers could exploit this to execute arbitrary code or crash the application. Users of Nitro Pro before version 13.13.2.242 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability in Nitro Pro's npdf.dll allows heap corruption when processing specially crafted PDF files. Attackers could exploit this to execute arbitrary code or crash the application. Users of Nitro Pro before version 13.13.2.242 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Nitro Pro

Versions: All versions before 13.13.2.242

Operating Systems: Windows

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Vulnerability exists in the core PDF parsing library (npdf.dll).

📦 What is this software?

Nitro Pro by Gonitro

View all CVEs affecting Nitro Pro →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.

🟠

Likely Case

Application crash (denial of service) or limited code execution within the context of the PDF reader process.

🟢

If Mitigated

Application crash with no further impact if sandboxing or exploit mitigations are effective.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Requires user interaction to open malicious PDF, but common in email/web attacks.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal users could be targeted via phishing or shared documents.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Public research demonstrates heap corruption, but weaponization requires additional exploit development.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 13.13.2.242 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://www.gonitro.com/nps/security/updates

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open Nitro Pro
2. Go to Help > Check for Updates
3. Install update to version 13.13.2.242 or later
4. Restart the application

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Nitro Pro as default PDF handler

windows

Prevent automatic opening of PDFs with vulnerable Nitro Pro version

Control Panel > Default Programs > Set Default Programs > Choose another program for .pdf

Use application sandboxing

windows

Run Nitro Pro in restricted environment to limit exploit impact

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Block PDF files at network perimeter/email gateway
Educate users not to open PDFs from untrusted sources

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Nitro Pro version in Help > About Nitro Pro

Check Version:

wmic product where name="Nitro Pro" get version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm version is 13.13.2.242 or higher in Help > About Nitro Pro

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Application crashes of Nitro Pro
Unusual process creation from nitro.exe

Network Indicators:

PDF downloads from suspicious sources
Unusual outbound connections after PDF opening

SIEM Query:

EventID=1000 Source="Application Error" FaultingModule="npdf.dll"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2020-10222

CVSS v3 Score: 8.1 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Published: March 8, 2020

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://github.com/nafiez/nafiez.github.io/blob/master/_posts/2020-03-05-fuzzing-heap-corruption-nitro-pdf-vulnerability.md Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://nafiez.github.io/security/vulnerability/corruption/fuzzing/2020/03/05/fuzzing-heap-corruption-nitro-pdf-vulnerability.html Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/nafiez/nafiez.github.io/blob/master/_posts/2020-03-05-fuzzing-heap-corruption-nitro-pdf-vulnerability.md Exploit,Third Party Advisory
https://nafiez.github.io/security/vulnerability/corruption/fuzzing/2020/03/05/fuzzing-heap-corruption-nitro-pdf-vulnerability.html Exploit,Third Party Advisory

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