CVE-2024-45508
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-45508 is a critical out-of-bounds write vulnerability in HTMLDOC's PDF/PS parsing functionality. Attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service by processing specially crafted HTML documents. All systems running vulnerable HTMLDOC versions are affected when processing untrusted HTML input.
💻 Affected Systems
- HTMLDOC
📦 What is this software?
Htmldoc by Htmldoc Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with the privileges of the HTMLDOC process, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Likely Case
Denial of service (application crash) or limited memory corruption leading to unstable behavior.
If Mitigated
No impact if HTMLDOC is not processing untrusted HTML documents or if proper input validation is implemented.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires feeding malicious HTML to HTMLDOC. No authentication needed if HTMLDOC processes external input.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.9.19
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/michaelrsweet/htmldoc/blob/2d5b2ab9ddbf2aee2209010cebc11efdd1cab6e2/CHANGES.md
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Download HTMLDOC 1.9.19 or later from official repository. 2. Compile and install following standard build procedures. 3. Replace existing HTMLDOC binary with patched version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation
allImplement strict input validation to reject or sanitize HTML documents containing suspicious whitespace patterns.
Process Isolation
allRun HTMLDOC in a sandboxed or containerized environment with minimal privileges.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable HTMLDOC processing of untrusted documents
- Implement network segmentation to limit HTMLDOC exposure
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check HTMLDOC version with 'htmldoc --version' and verify it's below 1.9.19Check Version:
htmldoc --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 1.9.19 or higher and test with known problematic HTML samples📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- HTMLDOC process crashes
- Memory access violation errors in system logs
- Abnormal termination of HTMLDOC processes
Network Indicators:
- Unusual HTML file uploads to systems using HTMLDOC
- Multiple failed HTML processing attempts
SIEM Query:
process_name:"htmldoc" AND (event_type:"crash" OR exit_code:139 OR exit_code:-1073741819)