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CVE Record

CVE-2018-0202: clamscan in ClamAV before 0.99.4 contains a vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attac...

clamscan in ClamAV before 0.99.4 contains a vulnerability that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper input validation checking mechanisms when handling Portable Document Format (.pdf) files sent to an affected device. An unauthenticated, remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted .pdf file to an affected device. This action could cause an out-of-bounds read when ClamAV scans the malicious file, allowing the attacker to cause a DoS condition. This concerns pdf_parse_array and pdf_parse_string in libclamav/pdfng.c. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvh91380, CSCvh91400.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2018-0202 can let a remote, unauthenticated sender crash ClamAV scanning by supplying a crafted PDF. The reported impact is denial of service, not data theft or code execution. Business urgency depends on whether ClamAV scans untrusted PDFs in mail, upload, or file-processing workflows.

Executive priority

Treat as a service-availability issue for environments relying on ClamAV scanning. Prioritize patching internet-facing or externally fed scanning workflows, especially mail and upload pipelines, but do not escalate as confirmed active exploitation based on this bundle.

Technical view

ClamAV before 0.99.4 has improper input validation in clamscan PDF handling. Crafted PDF content can trigger an out-of-bounds read in pdf_parse_array and pdf_parse_string in libclamav/pdfng.c, causing a denial-of-service condition during scanning.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely where ClamAV before 0.99.4 scans PDFs received from untrusted users or external sources. Systems not running ClamAV, not scanning PDFs, or already updated to fixed vendor packages are less likely exposed.

Exploitation context

The source bundle states remote unauthenticated exploitation by crafted PDF can cause DoS. It does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence, so active exploitation should not be claimed from these sources.

Researcher notes

Key evidence identifies PDF parser functions in libclamav/pdfng.c and the fixed boundary as before 0.99.4. The bundle lacks CVSS, CWE, exploit telemetry, and detailed patch notes, so validation should focus on version exposure and PDF scanning paths.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade ClamAV to 0.99.4 or later, or apply fixed distribution packages.
  • Apply Ubuntu, Debian, or Gentoo security updates where those packages are used.
  • Confirm all scanner nodes and containers use the fixed ClamAV build.
  • If immediate patching is delayed, review vendor guidance for temporary exposure reduction.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory ClamAV and clamscan versions across servers, images, and appliances.
  • Check whether ClamAV processes untrusted PDFs in production workflows.
  • Verify package versions against Ubuntu, Debian, Gentoo, or upstream advisories.
  • Review scanner crash or restart patterns around PDF processing for possible impact signals.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
8

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-2018-0202 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
7Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/aClamAVClamAVListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.