CVE-2014-9843 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The DecodePSDPixels function in coders/psd.c in ImageMagick 6.8.9.9 allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9843 resides within the DecodePSDPixels function located in the coders/psd.c file of ImageMagick version 6.8.9.9. This flaw represents a critical security issue that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability through unspecified attack vectors. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory handling within the Photoshop Document (PSD) file parsing mechanism, which is part of ImageMagick's extensive format support library. When processing specially crafted PSD files, the function fails to properly validate buffer boundaries and memory allocations, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate the parsing process and potentially execute malicious code on systems running vulnerable versions of ImageMagick.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds writes. These weaknesses occur when the DecodePSDPixels function does not adequately verify the size and structure of PSD file components before attempting to parse or decode pixel data. The function likely processes image dimensions, color channels, and compression parameters without sufficient bounds checking, allowing attackers to craft malicious PSD files that trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through web applications that process user-uploaded images, making it a prime target for remote code execution attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-9843 extends far beyond simple denial-of-service scenarios, as it can enable complete system compromise when exploited. Systems running vulnerable ImageMagick versions are at risk of arbitrary code execution, privilege escalation, and potential data breaches when processing maliciously crafted PSD files. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in web environments where ImageMagick is used for image processing, as attackers can upload malicious files through web forms, file upload interfaces, or other user input mechanisms. This attack vector can lead to server compromise, data exfiltration, and the establishment of persistent backdoors. The unspecified nature of the impact suggests that the vulnerability may enable multiple attack vectors including heap corruption, stack smashing, or other memory-related exploits that could be leveraged for advanced persistent threats.
Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation of this vulnerability through version updates to ImageMagick 6.8.9.10 or later, which contain patches addressing the memory handling issues in the PSD parsing code. System administrators should also implement network-level protections such as file type validation, content inspection, and sandboxing of image processing operations to reduce the attack surface. Security controls should include restricting ImageMagick usage to trusted environments and implementing strict input validation for all image file processing. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management and input validation in multimedia processing libraries, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation through memory corruption attacks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify other potential weaknesses in image processing pipelines and ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities.