CVE-2015-7554 in LibTIFF
Summary
by MITRE
The _TIFFVGetField function in tif_dir.c in libtiff 4.0.6 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (invalid memory write and crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted field data in an extension tag in a TIFF image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7554 resides within the libtiff library version 4.0.6, specifically within the _TIFFVGetField function located in the tif_dir.c file. This flaw represents a critical security issue that affects applications relying on libtiff for processing TIFF image files. The vulnerability manifests when the library processes extension tags within TIFF images, where crafted field data can trigger unpredictable behavior in the underlying memory management system. The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and boundary checking within the TIFF directory parsing mechanism, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures through maliciously constructed image files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability. When an attacker crafts a TIFF image containing malicious extension tags with malformed field data, the _TIFFVGetField function fails to properly validate the incoming data before attempting to write to memory locations. This invalid memory write condition can result in application crashes, system hangs, or in more severe cases, allow attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the vulnerable application. The vulnerability affects any software that utilizes libtiff version 4.0.6 or earlier for TIFF image processing, including image viewers, document management systems, and various multimedia applications. The flaw's classification aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and may also relate to CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk in environments where users can upload or process untrusted TIFF images, such as web applications, email clients, or content management systems. The attack vector requires the victim to process a maliciously crafted TIFF file, making it particularly dangerous in automated processing scenarios or when applications automatically handle user-uploaded content. The vulnerability's exploitation potential aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through the manipulation of image processing libraries. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in multimedia processing libraries, as image format parsers often become attack surfaces due to the complex nature of their data structures and the variety of valid formats they must support.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7554 involve immediate patching of affected libtiff installations to version 4.0.7 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the memory validation issues. Organizations should implement defensive programming practices including input sanitization, memory bounds checking, and proper error handling within applications that process TIFF files. Additionally, deploying network-based intrusion detection systems and application whitelisting can help prevent exploitation of this vulnerability in environments where patching may not be immediately possible. The vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping third-party libraries updated and implementing comprehensive security testing procedures for multimedia processing components, particularly those handling untrusted input data. Regular security audits of image processing pipelines and adherence to secure coding practices are essential for preventing similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the software stack.