CVE-2005-2309 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera 8.01 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a crafted JPEG image, as demonstrated using random.jpg.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2309 represents a significant denial of service weakness in Opera web browser version 8.01 that specifically targets the browser's handling of JPEG image files. This flaw demonstrates how multimedia file processing can be exploited to consume excessive system resources and render the affected application unusable. The vulnerability operates through a crafted JPEG image file named random.jpg that triggers abnormal CPU consumption patterns within the browser's image decoding engine.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the Opera browser's JPEG parser failing to properly validate or handle malformed image data structures. When the browser encounters the specially crafted JPEG file, its image processing routines enter into an infinite loop or consume excessive computational resources during the decoding process. This behavior stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the image rendering subsystem, allowing maliciously constructed image data to cause the browser to continuously process the file without proper termination conditions. The vulnerability specifically affects the JPEG decoding library used by Opera 8.01, which lacks proper bounds checking and resource allocation controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple browser instability to potentially enable broader attack scenarios. An attacker could leverage this weakness to perform resource exhaustion attacks against users accessing web content, effectively causing a denial of service condition where the victim's system becomes unresponsive due to excessive CPU utilization. This type of attack could be particularly damaging in environments where users rely heavily on browser-based applications or where the affected system serves as a gateway to other network resources. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign file formats can be weaponized to compromise system availability and user productivity.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of improper input validation leading to resource exhaustion, which aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-129 and CWE-400. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques found in the attack tree methodology, where an attacker exploits a specific weakness in software components to achieve system-level disruption. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including browser updates, network-based filtering of suspicious image content, and user education regarding the risks of downloading untrusted multimedia files. Additionally, this vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and the need for robust input validation mechanisms in multimedia processing components. The incident underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices and implementing proper resource management controls to prevent similar issues in browser rendering engines and image processing libraries.