CVE-2008-1382 in libpng
Summary
by MITRE
libpng 1.0.6 through 1.0.32, 1.2.0 through 1.2.26, and 1.4.0beta01 through 1.4.0beta19 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a PNG file with zero length "unknown" chunks, which trigger an access of uninitialized memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1382 represents a critical memory safety issue affecting multiple versions of the libpng library, which is widely used for handling png image files across numerous operating systems and applications. This flaw exists in libpng versions ranging from 1.0.6 through 1.0.32, 1.2.0 through 1.2.26, and 1.4.0beta01 through 1.4.0beta19, making it a widespread concern that impacts a substantial portion of software systems relying on png image processing capabilities. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of png file structures, specifically when encountering certain malformed chunk data that can lead to unpredictable system behavior.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the library's failure to properly validate chunk lengths within png files, particularly when processing "unknown" chunks that have zero length. When libpng encounters such malformed chunks, the code attempts to access uninitialized memory locations, creating conditions where the application may crash or potentially execute arbitrary code. This represents a classic buffer over-read vulnerability where the program reads beyond the allocated memory boundaries, violating fundamental memory safety principles. The issue is classified as a CWE-125 vulnerability under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to information disclosure, system crashes, or code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it can potentially allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. This makes it particularly dangerous in web applications and services that process user-uploaded png files, as attackers could craft malicious png files designed to trigger the vulnerability. The memory access patterns involved in this flaw can lead to stack corruption, heap corruption, or other memory-related issues that may be exploited to gain unauthorized access to system resources. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving memory corruption and privilege escalation, making it a significant concern for system administrators and security professionals managing applications that utilize libpng.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected libpng versions, as the fix involves proper validation of chunk lengths and initialization of memory locations before access. System administrators should prioritize updating all instances of libpng to versions that have addressed this issue, typically those released after the vulnerability disclosure. Additionally, implementing input validation measures at application layers that process png files can provide additional defense-in-depth protection. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries to reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management in security-critical libraries, as even seemingly benign file format parsing can become a vector for serious security breaches.