CVE-2012-1798 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The TIFFGetEXIFProperties function in coders/tiff.c in ImageMagick before 6.7.6-3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read and crash) via a crafted EXIF IFD in a TIFF image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1798 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within ImageMagick's TIFF handling functionality. This issue affects versions prior to 6.7.6-3 and specifically targets the TIFFGetEXIFProperties function located in the coders/tiff.c source file. The flaw occurs when processing TIFF images containing specially crafted EXIF Image File Directory (IFD) structures that manipulate the metadata parsing process in ways that exceed expected boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking during EXIF metadata extraction from TIFF image files. When ImageMagick encounters a malformed EXIF IFD within a TIFF container, the TIFFGetEXIFProperties function fails to validate array access limits or buffer boundaries before reading memory locations. This allows attackers to craft malicious TIFF images with manipulated EXIF data that causes the application to read beyond allocated memory regions, resulting in unpredictable behavior including segmentation faults and application crashes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks in environments where ImageMagick processes untrusted image files from external sources. The denial of service condition can be exploited remotely by attackers who upload or deliver malicious TIFF images to systems running vulnerable versions of ImageMagick. This creates potential for service disruption in web applications, content management systems, or any platform that utilizes ImageMagick for image processing. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1203, specifically the exploitation of software vulnerabilities for denial of service attacks.
The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors if attackers can leverage this primitive for information disclosure or further exploitation. Organizations utilizing ImageMagick for image handling across web applications, file upload systems, or automated processing pipelines should prioritize immediate remediation. The fix implemented in version 6.7.6-3 addresses the root cause by introducing proper bounds checking and validation mechanisms within the EXIF parsing logic, ensuring that all memory accesses remain within legitimate boundaries. System administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments across all systems using affected ImageMagick versions and implement appropriate network segmentation to limit exposure to this vulnerability.