// For flags

CVE-2015-1803

libXfont: crash on invalid read in bdfReadCharacters

Severity Score

9.8
*CVSS v3

Exploit Likelihood

2.3%
*EPSS

Affected Versions

7
*CPE

Public Exploits

0
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

The bdfReadCharacters function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont before 1.4.9 and 1.5.x before 1.5.1 does not properly handle character bitmaps it cannot read, which allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted BDF font file.

La función bdfReadCharacters en bitmap/bdfread.c en X.Org libXfont anterior a 1.4.9 y 1.5.x anterior a 1.5.1 no maneja adecuadamente caracteres bitmaps que no se pueden leer, lo que permite a usuarios remotos autenticados causar una denegación de servicio (referencia a puntero NULO y caída) y la posibilidad de ejecutar código arbitrario a través de un archivo de fuente BDF.

A NULL pointer dereference flaw was discovered in the way libXfont processed certain Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format (BDF) fonts. A malicious, local user could use this flaw to crash the X.Org server.

Ilja van Sprundel discovered that libXfont incorrectly handled font metadata file parsing. A local attacker could use this issue to cause libXfont to crash, or possibly execute arbitrary code in order to gain privileges. Ilja van Sprundel discovered that libXfont incorrectly handled X Font Server replies. A malicious font server could return specially-crafted data that could cause libXfont to crash, or possibly execute arbitrary code. The bdf parser reads a count for the number of properties defined in a font from the font file, and allocates arrays with entries for each property based on that count. It never checked to see if that count was negative, or large enough to overflow when multiplied by the size of the structures being allocated, and could thus allocate the wrong buffer size, leading to out of bounds writes. If the bdf parser failed to parse the data for the bitmap for any character, it would proceed with an invalid pointer to the bitmap data and later crash when trying to read the bitmap from that pointer. The bdf parser read metrics values as 32-bit integers, but stored them into 16-bit integers. Overflows could occur in various operations leading to out-of-bounds memory access.

*Credits: N/A
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Medium
Authentication
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Medium
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Partial
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2015-02-17 CVE Reserved
  • 2015-03-18 CVE Published
  • 2024-08-06 CVE Updated
  • 2025-03-30 EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
  • ---------- First Exploit
CWE
  • CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions (7)