CVE-2014-9907 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
coders/dds.c in ImageMagick allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted DDS file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9907 resides within the ImageMagick image processing library, specifically in the coders/dds.c module responsible for handling Direct Draw Surface image format files. This flaw represents a classic denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers through the careful crafting of malicious DDS files. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory handling within the DDS file parser, allowing attackers to construct specially formatted files that trigger unexpected behavior in the image processing pipeline. When ImageMagick attempts to process such malformed DDS files, the library fails to properly handle the malformed data structure, leading to resource exhaustion or application crash conditions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker uploads or delivers a crafted DDS file to a system running ImageMagick with the appropriate permissions to process image files. The flaw manifests during the parsing phase where the dds.c module fails to validate the structure and content of the DDS file headers and data segments. This inadequate validation allows the parser to enter infinite loops, consume excessive memory resources, or trigger segmentation faults that ultimately result in the application becoming unresponsive or terminating unexpectedly. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because DDS files are commonly used in gaming applications, graphic design software, and web applications, making the attack surface quite broad. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array indices, and CWE-400, which covers resource exhaustion vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-9907 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors when combined with other vulnerabilities. Systems that automatically process user-uploaded images or handle image conversion tasks become prime targets for exploitation, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to exhaust system resources and cause denial of service across multiple services. The vulnerability affects a wide range of applications including web servers, content management systems, and image processing pipelines that rely on ImageMagick for image manipulation. Attackers can exploit this weakness to launch resource exhaustion attacks against web applications, causing cascading failures in systems that depend on image processing capabilities. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in cloud environments and shared hosting platforms where resource constraints can amplify the denial of service impact.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-9907 should focus on both immediate patching and defensive configuration measures. The most effective solution involves upgrading to ImageMagick versions that contain fixes for this vulnerability, typically those released after the initial disclosure in 2014. Organizations should implement proper input validation at the application level by sanitizing image uploads and implementing file type checks before processing. Network-level defenses can include implementing rate limiting and file size restrictions for image uploads, while application-level protections should enforce strict resource limits on image processing operations. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms and using alternative image processing libraries that have better memory management and input validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving resource exhaustion and service disruption, and should be monitored as part of broader defensive strategies against denial of service attacks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for outdated ImageMagick installations to prevent exploitation of this and related vulnerabilities.