CVE-2017-5852
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 PoDoFo::PdfPage::GetInheritedKeyFromObject function in base/PdfVariant.cpp in PoDoFo 0.9.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a crafted file.
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 confidencePoDoFo::PdfPage::GetInheritedKeyFromObject in base/PdfVariant.cpp of PoDoFo 0.9.4 contains an infinite loop vulnerability triggered by specially crafted PDF files. The vulnerability exists in the PDF object inheritance logic where certain crafted files cause the function to loop indefinitely, leading to denial of service.
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= 0.9.4CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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.
-
Identify the installed PoDoFo versionCheck the PoDoFo library version by running 'pkg-config --modversion podofo' or by examining the shared library file (e.g., libpodofo.so) with 'strings' or 'file' commands. Also check any applications that bundle PoDoFo for their reported version.Affected if The installed version is exactly 0.9.4
-
Confirm PDF processing capabilityDetermine if any application or service in your environment uses PoDoFo to parse PDF files. Check for processes that handle PDF input or examine application dependencies.Affected if PoDoFo 0.9.4 is used by any application that processes PDF files
-
Identify untrusted PDF handlingReview your PDF processing workflows to determine whether you accept PDF files from external or untrusted sources. Check for PDF upload features, PDF parsing services, or tools that process user-submitted files.Affected if The environment processes PDF files from untrusted or external sources using PoDoFo 0.9.4
-
Inspect the vulnerable componentExamine the file base/PdfVariant.cpp in the PoDoFo source or binary distribution to confirm it contains the GetInheritedKeyFromObject function. This function handles PDF object inheritance during parsing.Affected if The vulnerable PdfVariant.cpp with the GetInheritedKeyFromObject function is present in version 0.9.4
You are affected if PoDoFo version 0.9.4 is installed and processes PDF files, especially from untrusted sources, as the infinite loop vulnerability in the GetInheritedKeyFromObject function will be triggered by specially crafted PDFs.
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.
From vendor dataProcess only trusted PDF files with PoDoFo 0.9.4 until a patched version is available; implement timeout mechanisms for PDF parsing operations as a defense-in-depth measure.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,960.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-5852 — 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-2017-5852 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data