CVE-2008-5317 in cms color engine
Summary
by MITRE
Integer signedness error in the cmsAllocGamma function in src/cmsgamma.c in Little cms color engine (aka lcms) before 1.17 allows attackers to have an unknown impact via a file containing a certain "number of entries" value, which is interpreted improperly, leading to an allocation of insufficient memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2008-5317 represents a critical integer signedness error within the Little cms color engine library version 1.16 and earlier. This flaw exists in the cmsAllocGamma function located in the src/cmsgamma.c source file, where the library processes color profile files for color management operations. The issue stems from improper handling of unsigned integer values during memory allocation calculations, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted color profile files can trigger unexpected behavior. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing the "number of entries" field within color profile files, where an attacker can manipulate this value to cause incorrect memory allocation decisions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-194, which describes the weakness of improper handling of signed and unsigned integers. In this case, the cmsAllocGamma function fails to properly validate or convert unsigned integer values before using them in memory allocation calculations. When an attacker provides a color profile file containing a specially crafted "number of entries" value, the system interprets this value as a signed integer during allocation calculations, potentially resulting in a negative or unexpectedly small allocation size. This misinterpretation leads to insufficient memory being allocated for gamma table processing, creating potential buffer underflows or other memory corruption scenarios that can be exploited by attackers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory allocation issues, as it can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions. When the color engine processes maliciously crafted color profiles, the improper memory allocation can cause heap corruption, which attackers might exploit to execute arbitrary code within the context of the application using the library. This vulnerability affects any software that relies on Little cms for color management, including image processing applications, print management systems, and various multimedia software packages. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only the processing of a malicious file, making it suitable for phishing attacks, web-based exploitation, or other delivery mechanisms where users might inadvertently open color profile files.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper integer handling in security-critical libraries and aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1068 for exploit development and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. The vulnerability also reflects broader concerns about input validation in multimedia processing libraries, where attackers can manipulate file format structures to trigger memory corruption. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching to version 1.17 or later of the Little cms library, implementing strict input validation for color profile files, and deploying runtime protections such as address space layout randomization. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing file type restrictions and sandboxing mechanisms for applications that process color profiles to minimize potential impact from exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for thorough integer overflow and signedness testing in security libraries, particularly those handling user-supplied data in multimedia processing contexts.