CVE-2014-9854 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
coders/tiff.c in ImageMagick allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via vectors related to the "identification of image."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9854 resides within the ImageMagick image processing library, specifically in the coders/tiff.c file responsible for handling TIFF image format identification. This flaw represents a classic buffer over-read condition that occurs during the analysis of malformed TIFF image files, allowing remote attackers to exploit the software through crafted image data that triggers an application crash. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read, which is a fundamental memory safety issue that can lead to system instability and denial of service conditions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when ImageMagick attempts to identify and process TIFF image files that contain malformed metadata or corrupted structure elements. During the image identification phase, the software's TIFF coder reads data from memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, causing the application to terminate abruptly. This behavior is particularly dangerous in web environments where ImageMagick is commonly used for image processing, as attackers can upload malicious TIFF files that will crash the application when processed. The flaw does not appear to allow for code execution or privilege escalation, but rather focuses on causing service disruption through controlled application termination.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-9854 extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can be leveraged in distributed denial of service attacks against systems that rely on ImageMagick for image processing. Web applications, content management systems, and file upload services that use ImageMagick as their image handling backend become vulnerable to this attack vector. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack surfaces including file upload forms, image processing APIs, and automated image handling services that do not properly validate input image files. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where automated image processing occurs without proper input sanitization.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation for this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of affected ImageMagick installations to the latest stable releases that contain the necessary fixes. Network-based mitigations include implementing strict file type validation and content inspection at network boundaries, ensuring that only properly formatted image files are processed by ImageMagick. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization within applications that utilize ImageMagick can prevent malicious files from reaching the vulnerable code path. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004 for network denial of service and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability as part of broader attack chains targeting system availability. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for image processing operations to contain potential impacts of similar vulnerabilities in other components of their image handling infrastructure.