CVE-2014-9849 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
The png coder in ImageMagick allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9849 represents a critical denial of service flaw within ImageMagick's png coder component, which has significant implications for systems processing image files. This vulnerability specifically affects the handling of malformed png image data during the decoding process, creating a condition where remote attackers can trigger system instability through crafted image payloads. The flaw exists in the image processing pipeline where ImageMagick's png coder fails to properly validate input data structures, leading to memory corruption and subsequent application crashes. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, though in this case the overflow manifests as a crash rather than arbitrary code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits a specially crafted png image file to a system running ImageMagick with vulnerable versions. The png coder component processes the malformed data without proper bounds checking, causing memory corruption that results in the application crashing or becoming unresponsive. This behavior aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, as the vulnerability allows remote adversaries to disrupt services through crafted image inputs. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through any interface that processes png images, including web applications, file upload systems, and automated image processing services that utilize ImageMagick.
From an operational impact perspective, systems utilizing ImageMagick for image processing face substantial risk when exposed to untrusted image inputs. The vulnerability can be leveraged to perform distributed denial of service attacks by targeting multiple systems simultaneously, or to disrupt single systems through targeted exploitation. Organizations that rely on ImageMagick for image conversion, web application image handling, or automated image processing workflows are particularly vulnerable. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the crash can potentially lead to resource exhaustion, making systems unavailable for legitimate users and creating opportunities for further attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9849 should prioritize immediate patching of ImageMagick installations to versions that contain fixes for the png coder vulnerability. System administrators should implement input validation controls that filter or reject suspicious image files before they reach the ImageMagick processing pipeline. Network segmentation and access controls can limit the exposure of systems that process image files to untrusted sources. Additionally, implementing monitoring and alerting for unusual application crashes or resource consumption patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched versions to ensure that the fix does not introduce regressions in legitimate image processing functionality while maintaining the security improvements. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image processing tasks to contain potential impacts from exploitation attempts.