CVE-2014-4483

Vulnerability

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the FontParser component of Apple iOS (before 8.1.3), OS X (before 10.10.2), and Apple TV (before 7.0.3) [1][2][3]. The flaw is triggered when the system processes a PDF document containing a specially crafted font file. No special configuration is required to reach the vulnerable code path; simply opening the malicious PDF in any application that uses the system font parser can trigger the overflow.

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by delivering a crafted PDF file to a target user, typically via email, web download, or other means. The target must open the PDF in an application that relies on Apple's font parsing, such as Safari, Mail, or Preview. No authentication or user interaction beyond opening the file is required. The buffer overflow occurs during font parsing, leading to memory corruption.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system or cause a denial of service (application crash) [1][2][3]. The code executes at the privilege level of the user opening the PDF, potentially giving the attacker full access to user data and system functions on iOS or OS X. On Apple TV, the impact is similar, though limited by the restricted environment.

Mitigation

The vulnerability is fixed in iOS 8.1.3, OS X Yosemite v10.10.2, and Apple TV 7.0.3 [1][2][3]. Users should update their devices to these or later versions. No workarounds are available. Apple does not report any active exploitation at the time of disclosure.