CVE-2010-2233 in LibTIFF
Summary
by MITRE
tif_getimage.c in LibTIFF 3.9.0 and 3.9.2 on 64-bit platforms, as used in ImageMagick, does not properly perform vertical flips, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted TIFF image, related to "downsampled OJPEG input."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2233 represents a critical security flaw within the LibTIFF library version 3.9.0 and 3.9.2, specifically affecting 64-bit platform implementations. This issue manifests in the tif_getimage.c component when processing TIFF image files, creating a scenario where improper vertical flip operations can be exploited by remote attackers. The vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous when combined with downsampled OJPEG input processing, which introduces additional complexity to the image decoding pipeline and creates multiple attack vectors for exploitation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of vertical flip operations within the TIFF image processing code. When LibTIFF encounters a TIFF image with specific characteristics related to downsampled OJPEG encoding, the vertical flip functionality fails to properly manage memory boundaries and data structures. This failure results in buffer overflows, memory corruption, or invalid memory access patterns that can trigger application crashes or potentially lead to arbitrary code execution. The flaw specifically affects 64-bit platforms where pointer sizes and memory alignment differ from 32-bit systems, amplifying the impact of the improper boundary checks.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-2233 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution, making it particularly dangerous for applications that process untrusted image files. When ImageMagick processes a crafted TIFF image through its LibTIFF backend, the vulnerability can be triggered without any user interaction, allowing attackers to remotely compromise systems. This makes the vulnerability especially severe in web applications, file processing services, or any environment where users can upload or submit TIFF files for processing. The vulnerability affects systems that rely on LibTIFF for image format handling, including but not limited to web servers, content management systems, and digital asset management platforms.
The exploitability of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 by leveraging application vulnerabilities to gain remote code execution capabilities, while also mapping to CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions and CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write operations. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws in image processing libraries can cascade into serious security issues when combined with specific input conditions and platform characteristics. Organizations using affected versions of LibTIFF or ImageMagick are particularly vulnerable because the flaw can be triggered through normal file processing operations without requiring special privileges or complex attack scenarios. Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate version updates to LibTIFF 3.9.3 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the vertical flip handling issues, along with implementing input validation and sandboxing mechanisms for image processing operations.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader image processing security assessments, particularly in environments where untrusted image files are processed. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough input validation and memory safety checks in multimedia processing libraries, as these components often handle complex data formats with multiple encoding variations. Regular security audits of image processing pipelines, implementation of secure coding practices, and maintaining updated third-party libraries are essential defensive measures against similar vulnerabilities in the future. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit potential exploitation impact, while monitoring for suspicious file processing activities that might indicate attempted exploitation of this or similar vulnerabilities.