Cloudanix VulnDB

CVE-2014-8184

High · 7.8

CVSS

7.8

EPSS

1.5%

Published

Aug 2, 2019

CISA due date

—

Cloudanix analysis

Schedule a fix SSVC: Track

A flaw in a library used by some screen readers and browsers lets attackers crash programs or take over a computer simply by getting a user to open a specially made file.

Exploitation
Requires User Interaction
Attacker needs
User Interaction
Complexity
Low
Impact
Full Compromise
Component
Library
Class
Buffer Overflow
Remediation
Upgrade
Effort
Medium
Patch risk
Low

What it actually does

Stack-based buffer overflow in findTable() within liblouis allows an attacker-supplied table file to overwrite the call stack, leading to application crash or arbitrary code execution.

Why it matters to the business

Systems running affected applications may experience sudden crashes or full host compromise when users open malicious files, resulting in lost productivity, potential data theft, and emergency patching across Ubuntu 14.04 deployments.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker crafts a malicious table file that triggers the overflow in findTable(); the file is delivered to the victim who opens it with an application linked to the vulnerable liblouis library (such as Orca or dependent chromium-browser packages), causing the overflow and subsequent code execution or crash.

How to fix it

Upgrade chromium-browser on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS to version 65.0.3325.181-0ubuntu0.14.04.1 or later; replace any liblouis packages earlier than 2.5.4 with patched equivalents and restart dependent services.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm package version is at or above the listed fixed release using dpkg or apt; test by attempting to load a known-good table file and verify the application no longer crashes on boundary cases.

Typical attack path

  1. Craft malicious table file exploiting findTable() overflow
  2. Deliver file to target via email, download, or shared storage
  3. Victim opens file in affected application on Ubuntu 14.04
  4. Overflow occurs leading to crash or shellcode execution

How to detect it

Review application crash logs and core dumps for signs of stack corruption around table loading; correlate file-open events with subsequent process anomalies on systems still running older liblouis versions.

What your security team should do

  • Immediately schedule upgrade of all Ubuntu 14.04 chromium-browser instances to the fixed release
  • Scan for and remove any pre-2.5.4 liblouis packages from build and runtime environments
  • Update vulnerability scanners to flag this CVE until patches are deployed
  • Monitor for new EPSS increases or exploit publications given the 2624-day exposure window

The record

A vulnerability was found in liblouis, versions 2.5.x before 2.5.4. A stack-based buffer overflow was found in findTable() in liblouis. An attacker could create a malicious file that would cause applications that use liblouis (such as Orca) to crash, or potentially execute arbitrary code when opened.

Affected packages

Ecosystem Package Introduced Fixed
Debian:11 liblouis 0 2.6.2-1
Debian:12 liblouis 0 2.6.2-1
Debian:13 liblouis 0 2.6.2-1
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client liblouis 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client liblouis-debuginfo 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client liblouis-devel 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client liblouis-doc 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client liblouis-python 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client liblouis-utils 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server liblouis 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server liblouis-debuginfo 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server liblouis-devel 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server liblouis-doc 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server liblouis-python 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server liblouis-utils 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation liblouis 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation liblouis-debuginfo 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation liblouis-devel 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation liblouis-doc 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation liblouis-python 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation liblouis-utils 0 0:2.5.2-11.el7_4
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 liblouis 0 1.7.0-1.3.6.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4 python-louis 0 1.7.0-1.3.6.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11 SP4 liblouis 0 1.7.0-1.3.6.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11 SP4 python-louis 0 1.7.0-1.3.6.1
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS liblouis 0 2.5.3-2ubuntu1.2
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS liblouis 0 2.6.4-2ubuntu0.1

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