CVE-2004-1095 in Image Viewer
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple integer overflows in (1) readbmp.c, (2) readgif.c, (3) readgif.c, (4) readmrf.c, (5) readpcx.c, (6) readpng.c,(7) readpnm.c, (8) readprf.c, (9) readtiff.c, (10) readxbm.c, (11) readxpm.c in zgv 5.8 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via certain image headers that cause calculations to be overflowed and small buffers to be allocated, leading to buffer overflows. NOTE: CVE-2004-0994 and CVE-2004-1095 identify sets of bugs that only partially overlap, despite having the same developer. Therefore, they should be regarded as distinct.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1095 represents a critical class of integer overflow flaws affecting the zgv image viewer version 5.8. This vulnerability spans multiple file processing modules including readbmp.c, readgif.c, readmrf.c, readpcx.c, readpng.c, readpnm.c, readprf.c, readtiff.c, readxbm.c, and readxpm.c, all of which handle different image format parsing operations. These integer overflows occur during the parsing of image headers where calculations involving image dimensions or metadata values result in integer overflow conditions that ultimately lead to insufficient buffer allocation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects the core image processing functionality of zgv, making it exploitable through any supported image format that is processed by the vulnerable software components.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the manipulation of image header values that are used to determine buffer sizes for memory allocation during image parsing operations. When an attacker crafts malicious image files with carefully crafted header values that cause integer arithmetic overflow, the resulting calculations produce values that are significantly smaller than the actual memory requirements needed for the image data. This discrepancy leads to allocation of insufficient buffer space, which then gets overwritten when the image data is read, creating classic buffer overflow conditions. These buffer overflows can be exploited to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running zgv. The vulnerability is particularly severe because it affects multiple image formats simultaneously, increasing the attack surface and exploitability across various file types.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1095 is substantial as it allows remote code execution through image file manipulation, making zgv particularly vulnerable to attacks in environments where users might encounter untrusted image files. This vulnerability is especially concerning in web environments where users might unknowingly download and view malicious images, or in email attachments where image files are processed automatically. The exploitability is enhanced by the fact that the vulnerability exists in multiple parsing modules, meaning that attackers can choose the most effective image format to target based on the victim's software configuration. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-190, which describes integer overflow conditions, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of software vulnerabilities for code execution. The integer overflow conditions in this vulnerability are particularly dangerous because they are often difficult to detect through standard input validation and can occur even with seemingly legitimate image files that contain malformed header values.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1095 require immediate software updates to patched versions of zgv that address the integer overflow conditions in all affected modules. System administrators should ensure that zgv is updated to versions that properly validate image header values and implement robust bounds checking before memory allocation occurs. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization and validation techniques, including bounds checking for all image dimensions and metadata values, can prevent the exploitation of these integer overflow conditions. Network-level protections such as content filtering and image validation services can also help mitigate the risk of exploitation by preventing potentially malicious image files from reaching end users. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management and input validation in image processing libraries, and serves as a reminder of the critical need for thorough security testing of multimedia processing components. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image viewing applications to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts, and should monitor for similar vulnerabilities in other image processing software that may exhibit similar patterns of integer overflow conditions.