CVE-2025-46205
📋 TL;DR
A heap-use-after-free vulnerability in PoDoFo PDF library's PdfTokenizer::ReadDictionary function allows attackers to cause Denial of Service (DoS) by processing a malicious PDF file. This affects systems using PoDoFo v0.10.0 through v0.10.5 for PDF parsing. The vulnerability is disputed by the supplier due to lack of reproducible proof.
💻 Affected Systems
- PoDoFo PDF library
📦 What is this software?
Podofo by Podofo Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete application crash leading to service unavailability, potentially allowing further memory corruption attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Likely Case
Application crash and Denial of Service when processing malicious PDF files, disrupting PDF-related functionality.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and sandboxing, though DoS risk remains if vulnerable version is exposed.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires crafting a specific PDF file. The vulnerability is disputed by the supplier, and no public proof-of-concept exists.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/podofo/podofo
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
No official patch available. Consider upgrading to latest PoDoFo version if it addresses the issue, or implement workarounds.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation and Sanitization
allImplement strict validation of PDF files before processing with PoDoFo library
Sandbox PDF Processing
allRun PoDoFo PDF parsing in isolated containers or sandboxed environments
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network-level filtering to block suspicious PDF files
- Monitor application logs for crashes related to PDF processing
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check PoDoFo library version in your application. If using v0.10.0 to v0.10.5, you are potentially vulnerable.Check Version:
Check application dependencies or build configuration for PoDoFo versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify PoDoFo version is outside affected range (v0.10.0 to v0.10.5) or test with known malicious PDF samples if available.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Application crashes during PDF processing
- Memory access violation errors
- Segmentation faults in PDF parsing functions
Network Indicators:
- Multiple failed PDF upload attempts
- Unusual PDF file upload patterns
SIEM Query:
source="application_logs" AND ("segmentation fault" OR "access violation" OR "heap corruption") AND "pdf"