# CVE-2018-3973: Memory corruption in ACD Systems

> An attacker can achieve code execution by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted CAL image in Canvas Draw.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Feb 2019
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9455-rmcr-qm22

## What is CVE-2018-3973?

CVE-2018-3973 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Talos ACD Systems, published on 6 Feb 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An exploitable out of bounds write exists in the CAL parsing functionality of Canvas Draw version 5.0.0. A specially crafted CAL image processed via the application can lead to an out of bounds write overwriting arbitrary data. An attacker can deliver a PCX image to trigger this vulnerability and gain code execution.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-3973?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Canvasgfx Canvas Draw.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-3973?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-3973 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-3973 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-3973 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Talos ACD Systems

- [CVE-2018-3976](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3976/): Memory corruption in ACD Systems (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-3980](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3980/): Memory corruption in ACD Systems (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-3981](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3981/): Memory corruption in ACD Systems (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-3973 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-3973 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Talos ACD Systems, published on 6 Feb 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-3973 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Talos ACD Systems. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3973/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3973/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-3973
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-3973
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-3973

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-3973/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.