CVE-2018-11797: Medium severity Apache PDFBox vulnerability

Published Oct 5, 2018
·
Updated

A vulnerability related to parsing was found in Apache PDFBox parser. A carefully crafted PDF file can trigger an extremely long running computation when parsing the page tree.

External References:

https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/a9760973a873522f4d4c0a99916ceb74f361d91006b663a0a418d34a@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E

Other sources

Apache PDFBox is vulnerable to a denial of service, caused by a flaw when parsing the page tree. By persuading a victim to open a specially-crafted file, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial of service condition.

IBM

In Apache PDFBox 1.8.0 to 1.8.15 and 2.0.0RC1 to 2.0.11, a carefully crafted PDF file can trigger an extremely long running computation when parsing the page tree.

Affected Software

11 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/pdfbox<1.8.16
1.8.16
redhat/pdfbox<2.0.12
2.0.12
Apache PDFBox>=1.8.0<=1.8.15
Apache PDFBox>=2.0.1<=2.0.11
Apache PDFBox=2.0-rc1
Apache PDFBox=2.0-rc2
Apache PDFBox=2.0-rc3
Apache PDFBox=2.0.0
Fedoraproject Fedora=29
Fedoraproject Fedora=30
Oracle Retail Xstore Point of Service=17.0

Event History

Oct 5, 2018
CVE Published
12:00 AM
Data Sourced
12:00 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:00 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Apr 24, 2020
Data Sourced
via IBM·12:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2018-11797?

CVE-2018-11797 is a vulnerability in Apache PDFBox that allows a remote attacker to cause a denial of service by exploiting a flaw when parsing the page tree in a specially-crafted PDF file.

2

How can I exploit CVE-2018-11797?

As a cybersecurity analyst, I cannot provide information on how to exploit vulnerabilities. It is important to focus on applying the necessary patches and security updates to protect against this vulnerability.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2018-11797?

CVE-2018-11797 has a severity rating of 5.5, which is classified as medium severity.

4

How do I mitigate CVE-2018-11797?

To mitigate CVE-2018-11797, ensure that you have updated to Apache PDFBox version 1.8.16 or 2.0.12, depending on the affected version you are using.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2018-11797?

You can find more information about CVE-2018-11797 on the Apache PDFBox mailing list and the bug report provided by Red Hat in the references section.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203