CVE-2008-1928 in Imager
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Imager 0.42 through 0.63 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an image based fill in which the number of input channels is different from the number of output channels.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1928 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Imager library version range 0.42 through 0.63. This issue manifests when processing image data through a specific fill operation that involves channel mismatch scenarios. The Imager library serves as a Perl module for image processing and manipulation, commonly utilized in web applications and image handling systems. The buffer overflow occurs during the processing of image data where the input channels do not align with the expected output channels, creating a scenario where memory boundaries are exceeded. This misalignment between channel counts during image composition operations creates exploitable conditions that can be leveraged by malicious actors to disrupt system operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the image processing pipeline. When the library encounters an image fill operation where the number of input color channels differs from the number of output channels, it fails to properly validate these channel counts before proceeding with memory allocation. This fundamental flaw in the channel validation logic allows attackers to craft specially formatted image data that triggers the buffer overflow condition. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of image processing and memory corruption, where the mismatch in channel expectations leads to unauthorized memory access patterns that can cause system crashes or unpredictable behavior. This type of flaw is classified under CWE-121 as "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Network Denial of Service" through resource exhaustion or memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors. Systems utilizing vulnerable versions of Imager that process untrusted image data from users or external sources become susceptible to crashes that can be exploited to disrupt services continuously. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in web applications where image uploads are accepted, as attackers can craft malicious images that cause the application to crash repeatedly. This can lead to complete service disruption, resource exhaustion, and potentially provide attackers with opportunities to escalate privileges or execute additional malicious code. The impact is amplified in environments where Imager is used for image processing in high-traffic applications, where even brief service interruptions can result in significant business disruption and customer impact. Organizations using affected versions of Imager should consider this vulnerability as a critical threat requiring immediate remediation to prevent potential exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1928 primarily focus on updating to patched versions of the Imager library where the channel validation logic has been corrected. System administrators should prioritize upgrading to version 0.64 or later where the buffer overflow conditions have been addressed through proper input validation and memory boundary checks. Additionally, implementing input sanitization measures for image processing operations can provide defense-in-depth protection, including validating image dimensions, channel counts, and file formats before processing. Network-level protections such as rate limiting and image validation proxies can help prevent exploitation attempts by filtering suspicious image data. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper memory management practices in image processing libraries and serves as a reminder of the critical need for thorough input validation in multimedia processing systems. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their image processing pipelines to identify other potential buffer overflow conditions and implement robust error handling mechanisms to prevent similar issues from occurring in future software releases.