Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') in pdfio
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-835.
Summary
PDFio is a simple C library for reading and writing PDF files. There is a denial of service (DOS) vulnerability in the TTF parser. Maliciously crafted TTF files can cause the program to utilize 100% of the Memory and enter an infinite loop. This can also lead to a heap-buffer-overflow vulnerability. An infinite loop occurs in the read_camp function by nGroups value. The ttf.h library is vulnerable. A value called nGroups is extracted from the file, and by changing that value, you can cause the program to utilize 100% of the Memory and enter an infinite loop. If the value of nGroups in the file is small, an infinite loop will not occur. This library, whether used as a standalone binary or as part of another application, is vulnerable to DOS attacks when parsing certain types of files. Automated systems, including web servers that use this code to convert PDF submissions into plaintext, can be DOSed if an attacker uploads a malicious TTF file. This issue has been addressed in release version 1.3.1. All users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| michaelrsweet | pdfio | before 1.3.1 | 1.3.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- pdfio Vendormichaelrsweet Affected before 1.3.1 Fixed in 1.3.1 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA pdfio (michaelrsweet) Fixed in 1.3.1
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-42358
References
More michaelrsweet vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-76283 Use after free in michaelrsweet mxml mxml_load_data CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.1
- TI-2026-74098 Off-by-one stack out-of-bounds write in Mini-XML mxml_strtod() CVSS 4.0LOW 2.0
- TI-2026-53919 PDFio < 1.6.5 Dangling Pointer via Dictionary String-Formatting CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.1
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences