CVE-2009-4035
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe FoFiType1::parse function in fofi/FoFiType1.cc in Xpdf 3.0.0, gpdf 2.8.2, kpdf in kdegraphics 3.3.1, and possibly other libraries and versions, does not check the return value of the getNextLine function, which allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via a PDF file with a crafted Type 1 font that can produce a negative value, leading to a signed-to-unsigned integer conversion error and a buffer overflow.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceBuffer overflow in FoFiType1::parse function in Xpdf and related PDF libraries due to unchecked getNextLine return value. A crafted Type 1 font in a PDF can produce a negative value that triggers a signed-to-unsigned integer conversion error, leading to memory corruption and potential arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 2.8.2= 3.3.1= 3.3.1= 3.0.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Xpdf versionRun 'xpdf -v' or 'pdftotext -v' to identify the xpdf versionAffected if Version equals 3.0.0 exactly
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Check installed Gpdf versionRun 'gpdf --version' or check package manager for gpdf versionAffected if Version equals 2.8.2 exactly
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Check installed Kpdf versionRun 'kpdf --version' or check package manager for kpdf versionAffected if Version equals 3.3.1 exactly
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Check installed KDE graphics versionCheck package manager for kdegraphics package versionAffected if Version equals 3.3.1 exactly
If any of these specific versions (Xpdf 3.0.0, Gpdf 2.8.2, Kpdf 3.3.1, or kdegraphics 3.3.1) are installed and the system processes PDF files with Type 1 fonts, the environment is affected by this CVE.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedUpdate to patched versions of Xpdf, gpdf, kpdf, or affected kdegraphics packages. Avoid opening untrusted PDF files until patches are applied.
Xpdf 3.02+ or migration to maintained PDF viewers (Okular, Evince, modern poppler-based viewers)
- 1. Identify the PDF library in use (Xpdf, gpdf, kpdf, or a derivative like poppler) by checking installed packages or dependencies
- 2. For Xpdf users: Upgrade to Xpdf 3.02 or later, as this version contains the fix for the FoFiType1::parse vulnerability
- 3. For gpdf users: Consider migrating to a maintained PDF viewer (such as Evince or Okular) as gpdf is deprecated and no longer maintained
- 4. For kpdf users: Migrate to Okular (the modern KDE PDF viewer) which has absorbed kpdf functionality and receives security updates
- 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number of the installed PDF viewer
- 6. Test that PDF files open correctly after the upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-4035 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-4035 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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