CVE-2008-1573 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
The BMP and GIF image decoding engine in ImageIO in Apple Mac OS X before 10.5.3 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information (memory contents) via a crafted (1) BMP or (2) GIF image, which causes an out-of-bounds read.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-1573 represents a critical memory safety issue within Apple Mac OS X operating systems prior to version 10.5.3. This flaw exists in the ImageIO framework's handling of bitmap and graphics interchange format image files, specifically affecting how the system processes malformed image data during decoding operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking mechanisms in the image parsing code that fails to properly validate the structure and content of incoming image files before attempting to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves out-of-bounds memory read operations that occur when the ImageIO framework encounters specially crafted BMP or GIF image files. These maliciously constructed images contain malformed data structures that cause the decoding engine to access memory regions that should not be accessible during normal processing. The flaw manifests as the system attempting to read memory contents that extend beyond the intended buffer limits, potentially exposing sensitive information including kernel memory, user data, or cryptographic keys that might be stored in adjacent memory locations. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to information disclosure and potential system compromise.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to Mac OS X users as it allows remote attackers to execute information gathering attacks without requiring local system access or user interaction. An attacker could craft malicious image files and deliver them through various vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites, enabling them to extract sensitive memory contents from vulnerable systems. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as the leaked memory contents could potentially contain session tokens, encryption keys, or other confidential data that could be leveraged for further attacks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through image processing, and represents a classic example of how file format parsing vulnerabilities can be exploited for reconnaissance and privilege escalation.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability involves upgrading to Apple Mac OS X version 10.5.3 or later, which includes patches that implement proper bounds checking and input validation for image file processing. System administrators should prioritize patching affected systems and consider implementing additional security controls such as image file validation at network boundaries, sandboxing of image processing applications, and monitoring for suspicious file downloads or execution patterns. Organizations should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any remaining systems that may be running older versions of the operating system, as the memory exposure could potentially be exploited to gain deeper system access or information about system configurations. The fix implemented by Apple addresses the root cause by ensuring that all image parsing operations include proper validation of buffer boundaries and prevent access to memory regions outside the intended data structures.