CVE-2020-3731 (framemaker)

Adobe Framemaker Vulnerable to Heap Overflow Attack

Adobe Framemaker is a software product that allows users to create, edit, and publish technical documents. However, it also has a serious security flaw that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the user's system.

The flaw, identified as CVE-2020-3731, is a heap overflow vulnerability that affects Adobe Framemaker versions 2019.0.4 and below on Windows platforms. According to the Adobe Security Bulletin, \"Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user.\"

The vulnerability was reported by Kdot working with Trend Micro Zero Day, and has been assigned a CVSS score of 8.8 out of 10, indicating a high severity level. The National Vulnerability Database states that the vulnerability category is \"out-of-bounds write\", which means that the software writes data past the end of a buffer allocated in the heap memory, causing memory corruption and potentially allowing code injection.

Adobe has released a security update for Adobe Framemaker that addresses this and other critical vulnerabilities. Users are advised to update their installation to the latest version (2019.0.5) as soon as possible. The update can be downloaded from the Adobe Framemaker Download Page.

How to prevent heap overflow

The ability to detect heap overflow vulnerabilities in source code is certainly valuable. However, eliminating them from a code base requires consistent detection as well as a familiarity with secure practices for heap management. Some of the common techniques to prevent heap overflow are:

Use safe functions that perform bounds checking, such as strncpy instead of strcpy, or strlcpy if available.

Use memory allocation wrappers that check for allocation failures and zero out the allocated memory.

Use compiler options that enable stack protection and heap protection features, such as -fstack-protector and -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE on GCC.

Use operating system features that randomize the heap layout and prevent execution of code on the heap, such as ASLR and NX bit.

Use static analysis tools that can detect potential buffer overflows and other memory-related errors in source code.

How to mitigate heap overflow attacks

If a heap overflow vulnerability is discovered in a deployed software product, it is important to take steps to mitigate the risk of exploitation until a patch can be applied. Some of the possible mitigation strategies are:

Disable or restrict access to the vulnerable service or functionality until it is fixed.

Apply firewall rules or intrusion detection systems that can block or alert on malicious inputs that trigger the overflow.

Monitor the system logs and processes for any signs of compromise or abnormal behavior.

Update the software as soon as a patch is available from the vendor or developer. aa16f39245