Overview
CVE-2025-64524 describes a heap-buffer-overflow vulnerability affecting the rastertopclx filter within the cups-filters package. cups-filters provides backends, filters, and other software components necessary for CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) to function on non-macOS operating systems. This vulnerability, present in versions 2.0.1 and prior, can be triggered by processing maliciously crafted input data, potentially leading to a crash or, more seriously, arbitrary code execution.
Technical Details
The vulnerability lies in the rastertopclx filter. This filter is responsible for converting raster image data into PCL/PCLm format for printing. The heap-buffer-overflow occurs due to improper bounds checking when processing the input raster data. A specially crafted input file can cause the filter to write beyond the allocated memory buffer, resulting in a segmentation fault and potential memory corruption.
The specific commit 956283c74a34ae924266a2a63f8e5f529a1abd06 addresses this issue by implementing stricter bounds checking to prevent out-of-bounds writes.
CVSS Analysis
- Severity: LOW
- CVSS Score: 3.3
The CVSS score of 3.3 indicates a Low severity vulnerability. This is primarily due to the requirement of a malicious input file and potentially requiring local access to trigger the vulnerability. The CVSS vector reflects the low attack complexity and the limited scope of the potential impact.
Possible Impact
While the CVSS score is low, the potential impact should not be ignored. A successful exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to:
- Denial of Service (DoS): The application crashing due to a segmentation fault.
- Memory Corruption: Leading to unpredictable behavior.
- Arbitrary Code Execution (Theoretical): Although the low score suggests this is less likely, memory corruption vulnerabilities can sometimes be leveraged for code execution, depending on the system configuration and exploitation techniques.
The severity also depends on the context. In a networked printing environment, the risk might be elevated if an attacker can somehow inject malicious print jobs.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The primary mitigation strategy is to update cups-filters to a version that includes the fix from commit 956283c74a34ae924266a2a63f8e5f529a1abd06. Follow these steps:
- Check your
cups-filtersversion: Use your system’s package manager to determine the installed version. - Update
cups-filters: Use your system’s package manager (e.g.,apt update && apt upgrade,yum update, etc.) to update the package. - Verify the update: Confirm that the updated version includes the fix. Check release notes or the commit history.
If upgrading is not immediately possible, consider restricting access to the printing service or sanitizing print jobs to minimize the risk of malicious input.
