CVE-2012-2113 in LibTIFF
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple integer overflows in tiff2pdf in libtiff before 4.0.2 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted tiff image, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2113 affects the tiff2pdf utility within the libtiff library version 4.0.1 and earlier. This flaw resides in the handling of TIFF image files during the conversion process to PDF format, creating a critical security risk for systems that process untrusted image data. The vulnerability specifically impacts the tiff2pdf component which is commonly used in document conversion workflows and image processing applications. The issue manifests when the utility processes malformed TIFF files that contain integer overflow conditions, leading to unpredictable behavior in memory allocation and data handling.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and arithmetic overflow handling within the libtiff library's tiff2pdf utility. When processing specially crafted TIFF files, the utility performs mathematical operations on image dimensions and data sizes that can result in integer overflows. These overflows occur when the calculated values exceed the maximum representable value for the integer data type, causing the system to allocate insufficient memory buffers. The flaw creates heap-based buffer overflows where the application attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, potentially leading to memory corruption. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-190 as Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which represents a fundamental weakness in data handling and arithmetic operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-2113 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable remote code execution in vulnerable environments. Attackers can craft malicious TIFF files that, when processed by affected systems, trigger application crashes or more severe memory corruption that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability affects systems that utilize libtiff for image processing, particularly those handling user-uploaded content or processing untrusted image data from external sources. This includes web applications, document management systems, and image processing pipelines that rely on the tiff2pdf utility for format conversion. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where automated processing occurs without proper input sanitization or where the application runs with elevated privileges.
Systems mitigating this vulnerability should immediately upgrade to libtiff version 4.0.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to prevent integer overflow conditions during TIFF file processing. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation measures for all image processing workflows, including automatic file format detection and size validation before processing. Network security controls should be configured to scan and block suspicious image files, particularly those that may contain crafted integer overflow conditions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper integer arithmetic handling in security-critical applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments of their image processing pipelines and ensure that all third-party libraries are kept up-to-date with security patches. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated library versions to ensure compatibility with existing applications while maintaining the security improvements that address the integer overflow conditions.