CVE-2025-1268: Canon Printer Driver Buffer Overflow

CVE-2025-1268 Overview

CVE-2025-1268 is a critical out-of-bounds vulnerability affecting the EMF Recode processing functionality in multiple Canon printer drivers. This memory corruption flaw exists in the way these drivers handle Enhanced Metafile (EMF) data during the recode process, potentially allowing attackers to write data outside of allocated memory boundaries.

The vulnerability impacts a wide range of Canon printer driver families including Generic Plus PCL6, Generic Plus UFR II, Generic Plus LIPS4, Generic Plus LIPSLX, Generic Plus PS, Generic FAX, UFRII LT, CARPS2, and PDF drivers. Given the network-accessible nature of this vulnerability and the lack of required privileges or user interaction for exploitation, organizations using affected Canon printers should prioritize remediation.

Critical Impact

This out-of-bounds write vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially enabling attackers to compromise confidentiality and integrity of systems running affected Canon printer drivers.

Affected Products

• Generic Plus PCL6 Printer Driver
• Generic Plus UFR II Printer Driver
• Generic Plus LIPS4 Printer Driver
• Generic Plus LIPSLX Printer Driver
• Generic Plus PS Printer Driver
• Generic FAX Printer Driver
• UFRII LT Printer Driver
• CARPS2 Printer Driver
• PDF Driver

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-31 - CVE-2025-1268 published to NVD
• 2025-06-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-1268

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), a memory corruption issue that occurs when the affected printer drivers process EMF (Enhanced Metafile) Recode data. The flaw allows an attacker to write data beyond the boundaries of an allocated memory buffer.

The attack vector is network-based, meaning exploitation can occur remotely without requiring authentication or user interaction. When successfully exploited, this vulnerability can lead to significant breaches of data confidentiality and integrity on affected systems. The impact on system availability is comparatively lower but still present.

Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities in printer drivers are particularly concerning because these drivers typically run with elevated privileges on Windows systems. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the driver, potentially leading to full system compromise.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from improper bounds checking in the EMF Recode processing logic within the affected Canon printer drivers. When handling specially crafted EMF data, the driver fails to properly validate buffer boundaries before writing data, resulting in memory corruption. This type of flaw typically occurs when the code does not adequately verify that index values or write operations remain within the allocated buffer size.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability can be exploited over the network without requiring any authentication credentials or user interaction. An attacker could potentially craft malicious print jobs or EMF data that, when processed by the vulnerable driver, triggers the out-of-bounds write condition.

Attack scenarios may include:

• Sending malicious print jobs to a network-accessible printer using the affected driver
• Tricking a user into opening or printing a document containing specially crafted EMF content
• Exploiting shared printer configurations in enterprise environments

The vulnerability mechanism involves malformed EMF records that cause the driver's recode processing logic to write beyond allocated buffer boundaries. This can corrupt adjacent memory structures, potentially enabling code execution or information disclosure. For detailed technical specifications, refer to the Canon PSIRT Advisory CP2025-003.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-1268

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or instability in print spooler services (spoolsv.exe)
• Anomalous memory access patterns or exceptions logged from Canon printer driver processes
• Suspicious print job submissions from unauthorized sources
• System event logs indicating driver failures or memory corruption events

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Windows Event Logs for print spooler service crashes and driver-related errors
• Implement network traffic monitoring to detect unusual print job patterns or malformed data targeting print services
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying memory corruption attempts in kernel-mode drivers
• Audit installed printer driver versions across the organization to identify vulnerable installations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for print spooler services to capture detailed event information
• Configure SIEM rules to alert on repeated print spooler failures or driver exceptions
• Monitor network traffic on common printing ports (TCP 9100, 515, 631) for anomalous activity
• Implement file integrity monitoring on printer driver directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-1268

Immediate Actions Required

• Inventory all Canon printers and identify systems with affected printer drivers installed
• Download and install updated drivers from Canon's official support channels immediately
• Restrict network access to print services until patches can be applied
• Consider temporarily disabling network printing functionality in high-security environments

Patch Information

Canon has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Administrators should obtain patched driver versions from Canon's official support resources:

• Canon Japan Vulnerability Response
• Canon PSIRT Advisory CP2025-003
• Canon Europe Product Security
• Canon USA Service Notice

Organizations should verify driver versions after update and confirm the patch has been successfully applied across all affected systems.

Workarounds

• Implement network segmentation to isolate print servers and restrict access from untrusted networks
• Disable direct IP printing and require print jobs to route through a secured print server
• Configure firewall rules to limit inbound connections to print services from authorized systems only
• Use application whitelisting to control which processes can interact with printer drivers

# Example: Restrict print spooler service access via Windows Firewall
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block External Print Access" dir=in protocol=tcp localport=9100 action=block profile=public
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Block LPD External Access" dir=in protocol=tcp localport=515 action=block profile=public