CVE-2022-43148 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the rtf2html tool version 0.2.0. The vulnerability is a heap overflow located in the component /rtf2html/./rtf_tools.h. Heap overflow vulnerabilities occur when a program writes more data to a heap-allocated buffer than it is allocated to hold, potentially leading to memory corruption. In this case, the vulnerability can be triggered when processing specially crafted RTF (Rich Text Format) input data, causing the rtf2html tool to overflow its heap buffer. According to the CVSS v3.1 vector, the attack requires local access (Attack Vector: Local), low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is needed (UI:R). The scope is unchanged, and the impact affects availability only (no confidentiality or integrity impact). This means that exploitation could cause the application to crash or become unavailable, but does not allow for data leakage or modification. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or fixes have been linked in the provided information. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), which is a common class of memory corruption bugs. The rtf2html tool is used to convert RTF documents to HTML format, often in local environments or automated document processing pipelines. Given the local attack vector and requirement for user interaction, exploitation likely involves a user opening or processing a malicious RTF file with the vulnerable tool. The absence of vendor or product information limits the ability to assess the full scope of affected deployments, but the vulnerability is relevant to any environment using rtf2html v0.2.0 for document conversion.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability is the potential denial of service caused by application crashes when processing malicious RTF files. This could disrupt automated document processing workflows, internal tools, or local utilities that rely on rtf2html. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality or integrity, availability interruptions could affect productivity or service continuity, especially in environments where RTF to HTML conversion is part of critical business processes. Since exploitation requires local access and user interaction, the risk is somewhat mitigated in well-controlled environments but remains relevant in scenarios where users handle untrusted RTF documents or where automated systems process external inputs without sufficient validation. Organizations in sectors with high document processing volumes, such as legal, finance, publishing, or government agencies, may be more exposed. Additionally, the lack of a patch means organizations must rely on mitigating controls until an update is available.

1. Restrict usage of rtf2html v0.2.0 to trusted inputs only; avoid processing RTF files from unverified or external sources. 2. Implement strict input validation and sanitization before feeding RTF files into the tool to detect and block malformed or suspicious documents. 3. Run rtf2html in a sandboxed or isolated environment with limited privileges to contain potential crashes and prevent escalation. 4. Monitor application logs and system behavior for signs of crashes or abnormal terminations related to document processing. 5. Educate users about the risks of opening or processing untrusted RTF files and enforce policies to minimize user interaction with potentially malicious documents. 6. Track vendor communications for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and plan prompt deployment once available. 7. Consider alternative tools for RTF to HTML conversion that have been audited or have no known vulnerabilities if feasible.