CVE-2014-2030 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
Stack-based buffer overflow in the WritePSDImage function in coders/psd.c in ImageMagick, possibly 6.8.8-5, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted PSD image, involving the L%06ld string, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-1947.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2030 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow within ImageMagick's PSD image processing functionality. This flaw exists in the WritePSDImage function located in the coders/psd.c file, specifically affecting versions including but not limited to 6.8.8-5. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of the L%06ld string format specifier during PSD image processing, creating a condition where attacker-controlled input can overwrite adjacent stack memory. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows malicious data to overwrite stack variables and potentially control program execution flow.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting a malicious PSD image file that contains specially formatted data triggering the buffer overflow condition. When ImageMagick processes this crafted image through the WritePSDImage function, the improper string formatting handling causes the L%06ld format specifier to write beyond allocated stack buffer boundaries. This overflow can corrupt stack canaries, return addresses, and other critical program state information, leading to unpredictable program behavior. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers can deliver malicious PSD files through web applications, email attachments, or file sharing systems, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where image processing occurs automatically.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for systems processing PSD image files, particularly web applications and content management systems that utilize ImageMagick for image handling. The potential for remote code execution means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain full control over affected systems, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and persistent backdoor access. The denial of service aspect ensures that even unsuccessful exploitation attempts can crash the application, creating availability issues that may be exploited for further attacks. Organizations using ImageMagick in production environments face substantial risk, especially those handling untrusted image uploads from users or external sources.
Security mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2030 should prioritize immediate patching of affected ImageMagick versions to the latest stable releases containing the fix. System administrators should implement strict input validation and sanitization for all image processing operations, particularly when handling user-uploaded content. Network segmentation and application firewalls can help limit the attack surface by restricting access to image processing functions. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1203, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code, making defensive measures such as runtime application control and memory protection mechanisms particularly valuable. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing automated image validation processes that detect and reject potentially malicious image files before they reach the processing layer. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems running vulnerable versions of ImageMagick and ensure proper remediation. The remediation approach should also include monitoring for exploitation attempts through log analysis and implementing proper error handling to prevent crash-based denial of service attacks.