CVE-2022-41843 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in Xpdf version 4.04, specifically involving a crash in the function convertToType0 located in the source file fofi/FoFiType1C.cc. This vulnerability is distinct from the previously known CVE-2022-38928 affecting the same software. The issue is classified under CWE-476, which corresponds to a NULL pointer dereference, indicating that the software attempts to access or manipulate memory through a pointer that is not properly initialized or has been set to NULL. The vulnerability results in a denial-of-service condition by causing the application to crash when processing certain malformed PDF files. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium), with the vector indicating that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), requires user interaction (UI:R), and impacts availability only (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or vendor advisories are linked, suggesting that mitigation may require manual updates or workarounds. The vulnerability could be triggered when a user opens a crafted PDF file using the vulnerable Xpdf version, leading to application crash and potential denial of service. This vulnerability does not appear to allow code execution or data leakage but could disrupt workflows relying on Xpdf for PDF rendering or processing.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-41843 is the potential denial of service caused by application crashes when handling maliciously crafted PDF files with vulnerable Xpdf versions. Organizations using Xpdf 4.04 in their document processing pipelines, especially in sectors like legal, finance, publishing, or government where PDF handling is frequent, may experience service interruptions or operational delays. Since the vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, the risk is higher in environments where users open untrusted PDFs, such as email attachments or downloads. While the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact could disrupt business continuity, particularly in automated systems or batch processing environments relying on Xpdf. Additionally, denial-of-service conditions could be exploited as part of a broader attack to degrade service or distract security teams. Given the lack of known exploits, the immediate threat is moderate, but organizations should remain vigilant, especially those with high PDF usage and local user access to vulnerable software.

To mitigate CVE-2022-41843, European organizations should first identify all instances of Xpdf 4.04 or similar vulnerable versions in their environment. Since no official patch is currently linked, organizations should consider upgrading to the latest Xpdf version where this issue is resolved or applying vendor-provided patches if available. In the interim, implement strict controls on PDF file sources by enforcing email filtering, sandboxing, and user awareness training to avoid opening untrusted or suspicious PDF documents. Restrict local user permissions to limit the ability to execute or open potentially malicious files. For automated systems using Xpdf, introduce input validation and scanning of PDFs before processing. Monitoring application logs for crashes related to Xpdf can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, consider deploying endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting anomalous application behavior or crashes. Finally, maintain an inventory of PDF processing tools and regularly review security advisories for updates on this vulnerability.