CVE-2022-41842 is a medium severity vulnerability identified in Xpdf version 4.04, specifically involving a crash in the function gfseek(_IO_FILE*, long, int) located in the source file goo/gfile.cc. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-787, which corresponds to out-of-bounds write or memory corruption issues. The crash occurs due to improper handling of file seeking operations within the gfseek function, potentially leading to a denial of service (DoS) condition by causing the application to crash when processing crafted PDF files. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but user interaction is necessary (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is limited to availability (A:H) with no confidentiality or integrity impact. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked or published at the time of this report. The vulnerability could be triggered by a maliciously crafted PDF file causing the Xpdf reader to crash, potentially disrupting workflows that rely on this software for PDF processing or viewing.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-41842 is the potential for denial of service when using vulnerable versions of Xpdf to open or process malicious PDF files. This could disrupt business operations, especially in sectors heavily reliant on document processing such as legal, financial, and government institutions. While the vulnerability does not lead to data leakage or unauthorized code execution, repeated crashes could degrade user productivity and may be exploited as part of a broader attack to cause operational disruption. Organizations that integrate Xpdf into automated document processing pipelines or use it in environments where local users open untrusted PDFs are at higher risk. Since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the threat is somewhat limited to scenarios where an attacker can convince a user to open a crafted PDF file or has local system access. However, in environments with shared workstations or less controlled user behavior, the risk increases. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for mitigation.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation measures: 1) Identify and inventory all instances of Xpdf 4.04 or earlier versions in use across the organization, including embedded or automated systems. 2) Monitor vendor channels and security advisories for patches or updates addressing CVE-2022-41842 and apply them promptly once available. 3) Restrict local user permissions to prevent unauthorized installation or execution of untrusted software, reducing the risk of local exploitation. 4) Implement strict email and file filtering policies to block or quarantine suspicious PDF files from untrusted sources, minimizing the chance of users opening malicious documents. 5) Educate users about the risks of opening PDF files from unknown or untrusted origins, emphasizing cautious behavior to prevent triggering the vulnerability. 6) Where possible, replace or supplement Xpdf with alternative PDF readers that have a stronger security track record and active maintenance. 7) Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques to limit the impact of any crashes or exploitation attempts. 8) For automated processing systems using Xpdf, introduce input validation and scanning to detect malformed PDFs before processing.