CVE-2013-4589 in GraphicsMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The ExportAlphaQuantumType function in export.c in GraphicsMagick before 1.3.18 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via vectors related to exporting the alpha of an 8-bit RGBA image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4589 represents a critical denial of service flaw within GraphicsMagick's image processing library, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.3.18. This issue resides in the ExportAlphaQuantumType function located within the export.c source file, which handles the export operations for image data. The vulnerability manifests when processing 8-bit RGBA images, where the alpha channel information is being exported, creating a potential attack surface for remote adversaries seeking to disrupt system operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory handling within the alpha channel export functionality. When GraphicsMagick processes an 8-bit RGBA image and attempts to export the alpha component, the ExportAlphaQuantumType function fails to properly validate the image data structure or handle edge cases in the quantum processing pipeline. This deficiency creates a condition where malformed or specially crafted alpha channel data can trigger unexpected behavior in the memory management system, leading to a segmentation fault or application crash.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to systems that rely on GraphicsMagick for image processing tasks, particularly those exposed to untrusted input from external sources. Remote attackers can exploit this flaw by submitting maliciously crafted image files that contain malformed alpha channel data, causing the target system's image processing services to terminate unexpectedly. This creates a denial of service condition that can impact web applications, content management systems, or any service that utilizes GraphicsMagick for image manipulation and conversion.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when processing image data, and may also relate to CWE-248, addressing unchecked exceptions in software systems. From an attacker's methodology perspective, this vulnerability follows ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks through exploitation of software vulnerabilities. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as repeated exploitation could lead to sustained availability issues for critical image processing services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-4589 should prioritize immediate patching of GraphicsMagick installations to version 1.3.18 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed through improved input validation and memory handling in the alpha channel export functionality. Organizations should also implement input validation measures that sanitize image data before processing, particularly when handling untrusted content. Additionally, deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed image data patterns and implementing proper resource limits for image processing services can help reduce the impact of potential exploitation attempts.