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CVE Record

CVE-2018-20751: An issue was discovered in crop_page in PoDoFo 0.9.6.

An issue was discovered in crop_page in PoDoFo 0.9.6. For a crafted PDF document, pPage->GetObject()->GetDictionary().AddKey(PdfName("MediaBox"),var) can be problematic due to the function GetObject() being called for the pPage NULL pointer object. The value of pPage at this point is 0x0, which causes a NULL pointer dereference.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2018-20751 is a crash vulnerability in PoDoFo 0.9.6 when handling a crafted PDF through crop_page. It is caused by a NULL pointer dereference. The main business concern is denial of service in systems that process user-supplied PDFs, not data theft or remote code execution based on the provided sources.

Executive priority

Prioritize if the organization runs automated PDF processing on files from customers, partners, or the internet. The likely impact is service disruption, so urgency depends on business reliance on PDF workflows and exposure to untrusted documents.

Technical view

In PoDoFo 0.9.6 crop_page, crafted PDF input can lead to pPage being NULL before pPage->GetObject()->GetDictionary().AddKey(...) is called. This dereferences a NULL pointer and can terminate the process. The CVE record does not provide CVSS, CWE, or a confirmed fixed version.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely where PoDoFo 0.9.6 or PoDoFo-based tooling processes untrusted or externally submitted PDF files. Systems using crop_page functionality in automated PDF workflows have higher operational risk. Exposure is lower where PoDoFo is not deployed or only processes trusted documents.

Exploitation context

The sources describe a crafted PDF causing a NULL pointer dereference. They do not report active exploitation, weaponized public exploitation, or CISA KEV listing. Practical impact appears to be application crash or workflow interruption when malicious PDF content is processed.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited to the CVE description and linked reports. No CVSS score, CWE classification, affected CPE, or fixed version is provided in the source bundle. Treat the issue as input-triggered denial of service unless additional vendor evidence shows broader impact.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify whether PoDoFo 0.9.6 is present in applications, containers, or PDF-processing workflows.
  • Avoid processing untrusted PDFs with affected PoDoFo crop_page functionality until vendor guidance is reviewed.
  • Check upstream PoDoFo project guidance or tickets for an applicable fixed release or patch.
  • Add process supervision and queue isolation for PDF-processing services handling external files.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory packages and embedded libraries for PoDoFo 0.9.6.
  • Map applications that accept PDFs from users, partners, email, or public upload forms.
  • Confirm whether crop_page or related PoDoFo page-processing functionality is used.
  • Review crash logs for NULL pointer dereference failures during PDF processing.
  • Verify remediation against vendor or project guidance once identified.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

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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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
3Source 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/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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