CVE-2016-10050 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in the ReadRLEImage function in coders/rle.c in ImageMagick 6.9.4-8 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or other unspecified impact via a crafted RLE file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10050 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within ImageMagick's RLE image processing functionality. This flaw exists in the ReadRLEImage function located in the coders/rle.c source file of ImageMagick version 6.9.4-8, creating a significant security risk for systems that process untrusted image files. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking during the parsing of RLE (Run-Length Encoded) image format data, allowing maliciously crafted files to trigger memory corruption behaviors that can lead to system instability or complete application failure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when ImageMagick attempts to parse RLE-encoded image data without sufficient validation of the data structure. During the ReadRLEImage function execution, the software allocates heap memory based on assumptions about the incoming data size and structure. When attackers provide malformed RLE files containing oversized or malformed data sequences, the buffer overflow occurs as the application attempts to write beyond the allocated heap memory boundaries. This heap corruption can result in memory corruption that manifests as application crashes, segmentation faults, or potentially more severe consequences depending on the execution environment and memory layout.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations that rely on ImageMagick for image processing in web applications, content management systems, or automated image handling workflows. The remote attack vector means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability through web uploads, file processing services, or any system that accepts and processes RLE image files without proper validation. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks if the memory corruption can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code, particularly in environments where ImageMagick is used in security-critical applications or where the software runs with elevated privileges.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, Heap-based Buffer Overflow, and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation in image processing libraries. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution and T1499 - Endpoint Denial of Service, as it enables attackers to cause service disruption through crafted file uploads. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of ImageMagick, implementing proper input validation for image file processing, and deploying sandboxed environments for image handling operations. Additionally, network-level controls such as file type validation and content inspection can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability.