CVE-2006-1552 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in ImageIO in Apple Mac OS X 10.4 up to 10.4.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted JPEG image with malformed JPEG metadata, as demonstrated using Safari, aka "Deja-Doom".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1552 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within Apple's ImageIO framework that affected Mac OS X versions 10.4 through 10.4.5. This issue specifically manifests when processing JPEG images containing malformed metadata, creating a scenario where remote attackers can exploit the system to cause unexpected application crashes and system instability. The vulnerability was particularly significant because it could be triggered through web browsing activities using Safari, making it accessible to attackers without requiring local system access or elevated privileges. The technical nature of this flaw stems from improper input validation within the JPEG parsing routine, where the system fails to properly handle integer arithmetic operations when processing malformed metadata fields. When the ImageIO framework encounters oversized or malformed metadata values in JPEG files, the integer overflow condition causes the application to behave unpredictably, ultimately leading to a crash of the affected process. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-190, which describes integer overflow conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages web-based delivery mechanisms, making it susceptible to drive-by download attacks where users could be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites or viewing crafted images in web browsers. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it represents a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks that could exploit the resulting memory corruption for privilege escalation or code execution. Security researchers identified that the flaw occurs during the parsing of JPEG APP0 marker segments, where the system attempts to process the JFIF header information without adequate bounds checking on the length fields. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in image processing libraries, as the lack of bounds checking on metadata length values creates a predictable overflow condition that attackers can exploit. This issue was particularly concerning in the context of web browsing environments where users frequently encounter JPEG images from untrusted sources, making the attack surface significantly larger than typical software vulnerabilities. The flaw was ultimately addressed through proper bounds checking implementation in the ImageIO framework, requiring developers to validate all integer values before performing arithmetic operations. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving denial of service through application crashes and could potentially be used as a precursor to more advanced exploitation techniques. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices in multimedia processing libraries, where improper handling of user-supplied data can lead to system instability and potential privilege escalation. The remediation efforts required substantial changes to the JPEG parsing logic within Apple's ImageIO framework, emphasizing the need for comprehensive input validation and proper integer overflow protection in system-level image processing components. Organizations deploying affected systems needed to apply immediate patches to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability could be reliably triggered through web-based attacks without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond normal browsing activities. The incident underscored the critical importance of robust validation in multimedia libraries and demonstrated how seemingly benign image processing operations could become attack vectors when proper security controls were not implemented.