Flaws in Able2Extract Professional tool allow hacking targeted machine with malicious image files

Researchers found serious flaws in Investintech’s Able2Extract Professional tool that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code using specially crafted image files.

The Able2Extract Professional has over 250,000 licensed users across 135 countries, it allows them to view, convert and edit PDF files.

Cisco Talos experts discovered two high-severity memory corruption vulnerabilities that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on the targeted machine.

“Cisco Talos recently discovered two remote code execution vulnerabilities in Investintech’s Able2Extract Professional. This software is a cross-platform PDF tool for Windows, Mac and Linux that converts PDFs and allows users to create and edit them.” reads the advisory published by Talos. “An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code on the victim machine.”

The vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2019-5088 and CVE-2019-5089, can be triggered using specially crafted JPEG or BMP image files. An attacker could trigger an out-of-bounds memory write by tricking users into opening specially crafted image files using Able2Extract Professional.

“An exploitable memory corruption vulnerability exists in Investintech Able2Extract Professional. A specially crafted JPEG file can cause an out-of-bounds memory write, allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the victim machine.” reads the advisory for the CVE-2019-5089. “An attacker could exploit a vulnerability by providing the user with a specially crafted JPEG file.”

The vulnerabilities affect Able2Extract Professional version 14.0.7 x64.

Talos researchers reported the vulnerabilities to Investintech on August 1 and the company released a version to address them on November 1.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – Able2Extract, hacking)

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