CVE-2017-5886
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 · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in the PoDoFo::PdfTokenizer::GetNextToken function in PdfTokenizer.cpp in PoDoFo 0.9.4 allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact 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 · moderate confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow in PoDoFo::PdfTokenizer::GetNextToken function in PdfTokenizer.cpp in PoDoFo 0.9.4 allows remote attackers to cause unspecified impact via a crafted PDF file.
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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.
-
Locate PoDoFo library installationSearch for libpodofo files: 'find / -name "*podofo*" 2>/dev/null' on Linux, or check common installation paths like /usr/lib/, /usr/local/lib/. On Windows, check Program Files directories or search for podofo.dllAffected if PoDoFo library files are found on the system
-
Identify installed PoDoFo versionRun 'podofo-config --version' if available, or check version metadata in library files using 'strings <libfile> | grep -i version' or examining file propertiesAffected if The version reported is exactly 0.9.4
-
Confirm PDF processing application uses PoDoFoIdentify applications that link to libpodofo: 'ldd <application> | grep podofo' or check application dependencies/documentation for PoDoFo usageAffected if An application dynamically or statically links to PoDoFo 0.9.4 and processes PDF files
-
Inspect PDF input handlingReview application logs or network captures for PDF file processing paths, or examine configuration files that specify PDF handling librariesAffected if The application accepts PDF input from untrusted sources using the vulnerable PoDoFo version
-
Check for heap anomaly indicatorsMonitor application memory behavior during PDF processing using memory debugging tools like valgrind or address sanitizer if processing test PDF filesAffected if Heap buffer overflow warnings or memory corruption is detected when processing PDF files
The environment is affected if PoDoFo version 0.9.4 is installed and used by any application that processes PDF files, since the heap overflow triggers when parsing crafted PDF content through the PdfTokenizer::GetNextToken function.
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 dataUpdate PoDoFo library to latest version; implement file type validation and sandboxing for PDF processing to limit exploitation impact.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-5886 — 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-2017-5886 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