CVE-2019-5053 Use after free in NitroPDF

High 7.5 Published 9 Oct 2019 Updated 4 Aug 2024

A use-after-free vulnerability in NitroPDF allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a specially crafted PDF file.

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: None listed

What is CVE-2019-5053?

CVE-2019-5053 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in NitroPDF, published on 9 Oct 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 use-after-free vulnerability exists in the Length parsing function of NitroPDF. A specially crafted PDF can cause a type confusion, resulting in a use-after-free condition. An attacker can craft a malicious PDF to trigger this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-5053?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Gonitro Nitropdf.

How do I fix CVE-2019-5053?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-5053 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2019-5053 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-5053 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-c4r3-cm4j-7qqm.