CVE-2014-9815 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
ImageMagick allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted wpg file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9815 affects ImageMagick, a widely used software suite for creating, editing, and converting bitmap images. This particular flaw manifests as a denial of service condition that can be triggered by remote attackers through the careful crafting of wpg file format data. The wpg format, which stands for WordPerfect Graphics, is a proprietary bitmap image format originally developed by WordPerfect Corporation. When ImageMagick processes a maliciously constructed wpg file, the software encounters a condition that causes it to crash or terminate unexpectedly, thereby denying service to legitimate users who might be attempting to process valid image files.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within ImageMagick's handling of wpg file formats. When the software attempts to parse and interpret the crafted wpg file, it encounters malformed data structures or unexpected parameter values that cause memory corruption or stack overflow conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation as classified by CWE-20, which specifically addresses weaknesses in the validation of input data that can lead to various security issues including denial of service conditions. The flaw represents a classic case of buffer over-read or memory access violation that occurs during the image parsing process, where the application fails to properly sanitize the input file before attempting to process its contents.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks for systems that rely on ImageMagick for image processing, particularly web applications and content management systems that accept user-uploaded images. Attackers can exploit this weakness by uploading or providing access to a specially crafted wpg file, which then triggers the denial of service condition when the system attempts to process or display the image. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as this vulnerability can be leveraged in distributed denial of service attacks where multiple targets are simultaneously overwhelmed with malicious requests. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability makes it particularly dangerous in web environments where users might unknowingly trigger the malicious code through normal browsing activities, potentially affecting entire server farms or cloud-based image processing services.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9815 primarily focus on updating ImageMagick to versions that contain proper input validation and error handling mechanisms for wpg file processing. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all instances of ImageMagick are updated with the latest security fixes from the vendor. Additionally, implementing file type validation and content inspection mechanisms can provide additional layers of defense by preventing potentially malicious files from reaching the core image processing components. Network-based protections such as intrusion detection systems can also be configured to monitor for patterns associated with this specific vulnerability, though the most effective approach remains the timely application of vendor-provided security patches. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of adhering to secure coding practices and proper input validation as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the technique of T1499.004 for network denial of service, where the exploitation of software vulnerabilities leads to service disruption. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for image processing tasks and establishing robust monitoring protocols to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.