CVE-2002-0167 in Imlib
Summary
by MITRE
Imlib before 1.9.13 sometimes uses the NetPBM package to load trusted images, which could allow attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via certain weaknesses of NetPBM.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0167 affects the Imlib library version 1.9.12 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that bridges the gap between image processing functionality and external dependencies. Imlib, a widely used image loading and manipulation library in Unix-like systems, incorporates the NetPBM package for handling certain image formats, creating an attack surface that adversaries could exploit through weaknesses inherent in this external component. This particular vulnerability manifests when Imlib processes trusted images that utilize NetPBM for loading operations, establishing a potential pathway for malicious actors to compromise system integrity.
The technical flaw resides in how Imlib manages the interaction with NetPBM during image loading operations, specifically when handling certain malformed or crafted image data. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate the image processing flow in a manner that triggers buffer overflows, memory corruption issues, or other exploitable conditions within the NetPBM library. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service, as the underlying memory corruption conditions could potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the compromised process. This represents a classic example of a software supply chain vulnerability where a trusted dependency becomes the vector for exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial, as Imlib is a fundamental component in numerous desktop environments, image viewers, and applications that handle image processing tasks. Systems utilizing vulnerable versions of Imlib could experience complete application crashes or, more critically, arbitrary code execution when processing maliciously crafted images. This vulnerability particularly affects desktop environments and applications that rely on Imlib for image handling, including file managers, image viewers, and various multimedia applications. The potential for remote code execution through image processing makes this vulnerability especially dangerous in environments where users might encounter untrusted image content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-0167 primarily focus on immediate version updates to Imlib 1.9.13 or later, which contain patches addressing the NetPBM integration issues. System administrators should prioritize patching affected systems and verify that all applications relying on Imlib have been updated to prevent exploitation. Additional protective measures include implementing strict image validation procedures, particularly for images from untrusted sources, and configuring applications to avoid automatic processing of potentially malicious image files. Network-level protections such as content filtering and sandboxing mechanisms can provide additional defense in depth. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation could lead to code execution through compromised image processing pipelines. Organizations should also consider implementing security monitoring to detect unusual application behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around image processing functions and memory allocation patterns.